Psalm 19 - "Overwhelmed"

Psalm 19 is full of treasures about the handiwork of the Lord. His works are glorious. It can be overwhelming to walk through flower gardens and see the work of His hands while the sun is shining down on your face and there is a whisper of a breeze blowing. Or when you are in the middle of a rain shower and the sun peeks out and a rainbow is soon in the sky. Wow! But all of His creation is nothing compared to His Word that we are able to read anytime we so desire. I can't imagine living in a place where the Bible is not allowed. I pray we never see that day in the United States. But if we do I also know I have hidden His Word in my heart and pray I will have recollection of it. The coolest thing about His Word is that it is truth. We may not always understand it but we can stand on the fact that it is the truth. I love how Matthew Henry describes verses seven through ten...

The Holy Scripture is of much greater benefit to us than day or night, than the air we breathe, or the light of the sun. To recover man out of his fallen state, there is need of the word of God. The word translated "law," may be rendered doctrine, and be understood as meaning all that teaches us true religion. The whole is perfect; its tendency is to convert or turn the soul from sin and the world, to God and holiness. It shows our sinfulness and misery in departing from God, and the necessity of our return to him. This testimony is sure, to be fully depended on: the ignorant and unlearned believing what God saith, become wise unto salvation. It is a sure direction in the way of duty. It is a sure fountain of living comforts, and a sure foundation of lasting hopes. The statues of the Lord are right, just as they should be; and, because they are right, they rejoice the heart. The commandments of the Lord are pure, holy, just, and good. By them we discover our need of a Saviour; and then learn how to adorn his gospel. They are the means which the Holy Spirit uses in enlightening the eyes; they bring us to a sight and sense of our sin and misery, and direct us in the way of duty. The fear of the Lord, that is, true religion and godliness, is clean, it will cleanse our way; and it endureth for ever. The ceremonial law is long since done away, but the law concerning the fear of God is ever the same. The judgments of the Lord, his precepts, are true; they are righteous, and they are so altogether; there is no unrighteousness in any of them. Gold is only for the body, and the concerns of time; but grace is for the soul, and the concerns of eternity. The word of God, received by faith, is more precious than gold; it is sweet to the soul, sweeter than honey. The pleasure of sense soon surfeit, yet never satisfy; but those of religion are substantial and satisfying; there is no danger of excess.

Yes! It is through His Word that we find exactly what we need. Sometimes it takes reading the same Scripture over and over before we finally understand what the Lord wants us to but in the end it is so worth it. Thinking of Scripture as being "sweeter than honey" is overwhelming in itself. Honey is one of the sweetest things to eat. Something being sweeter than it is a bold taste. That is exactly what Scripture is to our soul...sweetness and boldness. As I soak in that sweetness and boldness I want more of it. I pray for the desire of my heart to dig into Scripture every day in order to read His will. The closing verse of chapter nineteen is my prayer...

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer" (NKJV).

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the way You use something written many years ago to touch me today. Thank You for the reminder of being in Your Word. Lord, Your handiwork is so awesome to watch as it changes every second. But Your Word does not change. I am grateful to have Your Word in my life. I pray for those who live in persecuted countries who don't have such freedom. Lord, may they find You in ways we cannot even comprehend. Father, I pray for more of You and less of me as I go throughout this day. There are things that have to be done but I don't want to do anything that is not Your Will. Thank You Jesus for being the One To Bless Me. Amen.

Matthew 11:28 - "Just Be Held"

"What is wrong with me, Lord? This is the second morning for tears..." His answer came in the form of a song by Casting Crowns called Just Be Held....

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

This part made the tears come even harder....

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you'll understand
I'm painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you'll find Me
And where you are, I'll hold your heart
I'll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who wont let go

I believe...I trust...I am surrendered to His will...I know He is always with me...I know He takes care of me...I know, plain and simple. So with knowing and believing why do I still have to cry? Because He made me that way. He made me emotional. He knows after I cry I feel better in my emotional spirit. He also knows sometimes I just need that release. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder of how much You care for me. Thank You for always being with me. Lord, the desire of my heart is to pray for You to take care of this not having insurance. But, Father, if there is something for me to learn during this time I pray You will reveal it to me. Lord, my prayer is that You part the 'Red Sea' for the faxes to be received in order that I don't run out of medication. But if that is not in Your will I don't want it. Your will is the desire of my heart. Lord, fill me to overflowing with more of You and less of me in order for You to ooze out of me. Use me in a mighty way today to be You to someone else. Lord, I praise You for holding me in Your arms during all of the 'junk' that is going on. It is in Your arms I find rest. Thank You for being My Heavenly Daddy! Amen.

Romans 8:5-8 - "Hold Me Jesus"

Last night was a night of praying. Throughout the night the Lord woke me up to pray for so many different people/situations. Every time He woke me a song by Rich Mullins was going through my mind...

So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

The lyrics to this song talk about having a small faith in times of facing tough stuff. It also talks about resisting surrendering one's life over to the Lord. When surrender happens, then there is peace in the midst of storms. It is no longer 'I can't handle another thing!' to 'Lord, I know You will see me through these tough times!' My prayers are for the ones I am praying for to be to that point in life...

• the family who lost a loved one yesterday
• the one facing surgery tomorrow
• the one facing surgery Wednesday
• the young couple with a premie baby girl
• the young lady who is dealing with rejection and seeking the Lord's will for her life
• the two going to physical therapy
• the alcoholic who needs the Lord to become real to him
• the recovering alcoholic who needs to know the Lord is his strength
• the one recently diagnosed with cancer
• the ones who recently surrendered to the Lord and need to be strong in their faith
• the ones recently healed from sickness and need to share their healing
• the one the Lord continues to lay on my heart to pray for that is living a lie in believing she is 'ok' in her spiritual life

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for our time together throughout the night. Thank You for blessing me with another hour of sleep this morning when I just didn't feel like I could get up yet. Lord, bless my prayers for all of the ones I am praying for. Most of all I pray for their spiritual lives to be where they need to be. I pray for their dependence to be upon You and not people, alcohol, drugs, etc. I pray for eyes to be opened up to Your empowerment that is available to them. I pray for the richness of Your love, grace and mercy to come down upon them in a way they have never experienced before. Lord, I also pray for more of You and less of me to show through my spirit today. I don't know if I will leave this house but I do know You will show through me in my words and actions. Father, fill me to overflowing. Lord, I pray for Your guidance as I start another week of school. Thank You for the opportunities You gave me to encourage my classmates last week. I pray You will use me in this setting in a mighty way. Thank You Jesus for being My Peace. Amen.

Luke 22:42; Deuteronomy 12:10 - "The River"

I love this new song by Jordan Feliz called "The River" ...

We're going down to the river
Down to the river
Down to the river to pray
Let's get washed by the water
Washed by the water
And rise up in amazing grace
Let's go down, down, down to the river
You will leave changed
Let's go down, down, down to the river
Never the same

Every time I hear this song I am reminded of Doc re-baptizing me in the Jordan River last spring. It is interesting to think about the Jordan River and it's significance years ago. 

When you cross the Jordan and live in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies around you so that you live in security,” Deuteronomy 12:10

The Israelites had to cross the Red Sea in order to leave Egypt. We, as believers, need to cross the 'Jordan River' in order to make passage into the Promised Land. We need to be delivered from a life of self and do as the Israelites did and lay our twelve stones down. We need to make sure we are not like the Israelites who still longed to go back to Egypt after crossing the Red Sea. The only way to do that is to die to self. That will be when we cross the 'Jordan River' and become as Christ desires of us. I think about how John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River after He had already been in ministry. The timing of this event shows that His ministry was not out of Himself but instead out of the Father. He received the Holy Spirit and accepted what was before Him. “Not My will” (Luke 22:42) were His words in the way He lived after His baptism. He was changed just as we, as believers, are changed when we take the step to be totally surrendered to Him. Before we cross the 'Jordan' we can teach the Scripture but once we cross the 'Jordan' we live the Scripture. We still live on the earth but we live in the heavenly life. Matthew 22:29 tells us that when we don't know the Scripture, we don't know His power. I believe this means we need to live the Scripture in order to know His power. Ephesians 4:13 gives us the purpose to crossing the 'Jordan' as being finding "...fulness of Christ."  Yes! It is only in living a life of surrender that we can experience His fullness.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder of what it takes to have fulness in You. Thank You for Your love, mercy and grace that enables us to come into such relationship. Lord, I pray for more of You and less of me in order for me to be the servant You so desire. Fill me to overflowing is my prayer. Father, I also pray for more believers to get to the end of themselves and realize this is the only way to live. Thank You for being My Fullness! Amen.

I Peter 5:7-10 - "Cast My Cares"

Once again this morning I woke up singing...

I will cast my cares on you
You're the anchor of my hope
The only one who's in control
I will cast my cares on you
I'll trade the troubles of this world
For your peace inside my soul

I woke up several times during the night and prayed for one who is going through a tough time physically. Then the Lord brought to my mind the one with a premie in the hospital so I prayed for that family. Another one who is in therapy after a recent surgery came to my mind so I prayed for her. There are so many different situations but yet the same answer for all...Jesus. He is our strength when we feel like we can't go on. He is our hope when things of this world let us done. He is our peace in the midst of the storm. He is. Plain and simple. He is. When we rely on Him, He promises us to be with us every step of the way. I love the promises in I Peter 5:8-10...

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. (NIV)

Yes! He "...will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." Woo hoo! I need to repeat those words. He "...will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." What an amazing promise to hold onto! And how can we receive this promise? By casting our cares on Him and then believing and receiving His blessing. It is in this process that we will find His peace.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder of this promise this morning. Lord, I pray once again for those who I prayed for during the night. Father, bless my prayers. I also pray for a blessing to be upon me as I seek more of You and less of me. Lord, You are the Only Way to live. Oh how I pray for more people to come to that realization. Speak to people today in a way they will not only hear but especially listen. Thank You Jesus for being My Only Way. Amen.

Hebrews 6:19 - "Cast My Cares"

It amazes me how much emotional/mental 'junk' can do to my body. I was thinking I overdid Wednesday physically and that was why I was so fatigued yesterday. So I rested my physical body but had to deal with some mental/emotional issues which brought the fatigue in full measure. It is not that I worry over these things because I know the Lord has it under control. It is just the process of getting forms filled out, making phone calls, etc. that cause the fatigue to be so great. This morning when I woke up singing "Cast My Cares" I did just that. I cried out to the Lord for His Will with this fatigue. I asked Him to give me supernatural strength to get accomplished what needs accomplished to get this application for assistance with my medicine on its way. 

I will cast my cares on you
You're the anchor of my hope
The only one who's in control
I will cast my cares on you
I'll trade the troubles of this world
For your peace inside my soul

I have found He is My Anchor and I also have found peace knowing He already knows the outcome and is in control. The part that is the hardest with the MS is the getting to the outcome part. It's not really the waiting part because that I have peace in it. It's the 'junk' that has to be dealt with that gets to me.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder that You are My Hope. Lord, I need a blessing of an overabundance of Your strength in my physical, mental and emotional being today. I pray for doors to be opened that need opened and doors to be shut that need shut with the phone calls I have to make. Lord, I pray for Your peace to come down upon me in a mighty way. Father, I am not one who usually asks for much for myself but today I am. I need You to fill me up with more of You and less of me in order to accomplish what Your will is. Father, please enable me to get this 'junk' taken care of early in the day. The promise you made to Abraham was fulfilled. I am standing on the promise You have given me that You are with me and I am casting my cares on You..."You're the anchor of my hope..." Thank You Jesus for being My Anchor of Hope. Amen.

Romans 15:13 - "Through All Of It"

Walking through Kingwood Center yesterday...seeing the beauty...smelling the different fragrances...I was overwhelmed with all of God's masterpiece. While I was waiting on Doc to get our lunch I started singing "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and tears came to my eyes.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; 
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Wow! "Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth"...yes! He accepted me back when I ran away from Him. The peace that I found that day has grown so much as I live in His presence each and every day. He is definitely my "Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow..." Without Him I am nothing but with Him I am hopeful. This morning I woke up singing "Through All Of It" that Colton Dixon sings...

I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life's been a journey
I've seen joy, I've seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, through all of it

Yes, I have seen joy and I've seen regret. But thankfully I have learned I need to live with no regrets. As I hear the Lord directing me and as I am obedient to Him I have no regrets. He strengthens me with His love to be prepared for situations as they arise. He strengthens me with physical and emotional strength to do what He asks of me. Sometimes I want to do more or something different but as long as I am being obedient and do as He asks life is good. He is my joy. He is the One to bless me in abundance. He is the One to answer my prayers. He is my hope.

Romans 15:13 is a verse I cling to each and every day. Without the power of the Holy Spirit I am nothing. My joy and hope are not built on things that will pass away. With the power of the Holy Spirit I am alive with great hope, great joy and especially great peace! Woo hoo! 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your faithfulness in my life! Thank You for loving me enough to draw me back into relationship with You when I fell away. Thank You for Your hope, joy and peace that I receive each and every day from the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Lord, You are so awesome! I pray for more of You and less of me today in order for me to live as You so desire. I'm not sure if I will leave this house but it doesn't matter. I know You will use me in some way today to be You to others. Guide my words in my speaking...guide my steps in my actions...be my Guide in all things. Thank You for an awesome day yesterday to celebrate our anniversary. You are so good, Lord. Bless my husband today with a renewed spirit, body and mind. Thank You Lord for being My Joy! Amen.

I Corinthians 2 - "We Believe"

Last night as Dan Bohi was praying over people to receive the Holy Spirit the song "We Believe" came to my mind. 

We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He's given us new life

When we believe, we will receive. When we get to the point in life where we desire more than what this world can give us, we will receive more of God. He is ready to take over all of the junk the world throws at us. All we have to do is say 'yes' and be obedient to His will. We have to let go of our natural being and allow the Holy Spirit to live and through us in a supernatural way. There were many who were healed last night in their physical and emotional bodies through the Holy Spirit. God did some wonderful work in people by bringing out sin and restoring marriages. He did some wonderful physical healing in people who were bent over with pain and received His touch to walk away pain-free. I, personally, received a healing in my wrist as people were praying over me for my MS. It was so cool to feel someone take my hand and feel an instant heat in it. Then as John prayed he said words such as "mend bones that were broken in the past and make them new"..."align her spine and her hip"..."connect things together"!!! Those were the words that hit me. I need my brain to be connected back together where the MS has overtaken. No, I didn't receive a healing from my MS...yet. I firmly believe that healing is coming. The healing of my wrist was just the beginning. 

As Brother Dan said last night, "Living in the supernatural life gives you courage to walk where Jesus leads you. You can't experience the supernatural until you allow the Spirit to manifest in you through faith in Him." Woo hoo! Yes! I can testify that the Lord continues to give me courage to go where He desires. I also can testify that my faith has grown in abundance since last spring when the Lord told me to "Go deeper, Daughter!" I have received new life through believing in the Holy Spirit. It was very cool last night to see so many people receive new life as the Holy Spirit worked.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your servant Dan who proclaims what You so desire of him. I pray for him and his family as they go through a tough time. Lord, may they remember the words You gave me to pray for them yesterday...'love, mercy and grace' and may those three things flow from them. Lord, I praise You for my husband. I praise You for the way he took 'in sickness and in health' to heart in our wedding vows twenty-six years ago. Thank You for his love for me but most importantly for His love for You. Lord, may You continue to be the center of our life. I pray for more of You and less of us in order for the Holy Spirit to work in and through us in some mighty ways. Bless our day together as we reflect back on the last twenty-six years and look forward to what You have in store for us in the days ahead. Thank You for being The One To Bless Me! Amen.

Psalm 119 - "Open The Floodgates Of Heaven"

Dan Bohi asked some challenging questions last night toward the end of the service. "What is your relationship with His Book...

• Are you dating? You only read it when you are bored, have nothing else to do or have the time
• Are you engaged? You like the benefits of a relationship yet you are not quite ready to make a full commitment
• Are you madly in love? You are passionate about spending time in it

Praise God I am in the 'madly in love' stage and fall deeper each and every day. My day is not right until I have my time with the Lord. The more I read His Book, the more I desire to know more. My spiritual life took a turn when I went from reading for information to seeking the Lord's intent for my reading. I came upon a term called lectio divina awhile back. When we sit down to read the Scriptures and allow them to speak to us, we will be transformed. This is something that I struggle with from time to time with my classes. I need to study the scriptures and tear them apart as in an exegetical study. But yet I need to make sure that I also take time to allow them to speak to me. I must be silent and wait to hear from the Lord before preceding on in the process of reading His Word. Being silent is so hard for many but when I learned this aspect in regard to hearing from the Lord I was so blessed.

I remember the days where I was in the dating stage as Brother Dan mentioned. I would hurry through reading Scripture when there was time in my schedule. Sometimes there would be days or weeks without having time for reading. I am thankful for the day the Lord brought me to my knees to repent of such actions. My time is His time. The more I give Him back of what belongs to Him, the more He blesses me. I had someone tell me, "You are disabled...you have all the time in the world." My response was, "We all have twenty-four hours in our days and we all have a choice on how we fill those twenty-four hours." I don't think they liked that response but it is the truth. My days could be spent watching TV, playing games on the computer, etc. I do those things occasionally but not like I use to. My days are filled with what the Lord desires. I know what He desires by living in His presence. Part of living in His presence is being in His Word.

Dear Jesus,

You are so awesome in the way You speak through Your people. Last night as Brother Dan was sharing what You had given Him on the last days I was so blessed in so many ways. First of all, his obedience blessed me. When we walked in and I saw how he looked, I began praying for You to fill him to overflowing with what You had put on his heart. Praise You Jesus that is exactly what You did! Lord, I am so blessed by the way you fill me to overflowing to be Your servant. What a blessing to be obsessed with You! Woo hoo! Yes, Lord, yes! That is my response to the desires of Your heart for me. I pray You will take anything out of me that may be between us and fill me with more of You. Lord, I pray for more people to see the benefit of living a surrendered life for You. I pray for more believers to be on their knees seeking Your will in their life. I pray for more opportunities to share You with others. Oh, Jesus, open the floodgates and rain down on Your people! Thank You Jesus for being My Obsession! Amen.

Psalm 41 - "Not To Us"

The Lord woke me in the middle of the night with a vision that just does not make sense. It was of a baby in a baby walker. But instead of sitting in it right the baby was sitting sideways, sort of. The way the baby was sitting is not possible. It was weird. But then He said "Daughter, when you use the tools given to you and go down the right path you can be a more effective servant." Alrighty then...now to figure out what that means. Which 'tools' do I need to fine-tune? Have I been going down a wrong path? As I am pondering all of this I hear the Lord clearly say, "Psalm 41" so I read it and reread it. I asked Him to reveal to me how the vision and this Psalm go together. God is not One of confusion yet I feel confused on how this all ties together. 

In this Psalm David is talking about the sick. Is it a physical sickness or a spiritual sickness? David repents of sinning against the Lord and asks for mercy. He also talks about his 'enemies' wanting to see him fail or die. It appears as if David is feeling like his physical body's problems are causing his spiritual body to have issues. That can happen all to often when our physical bodies deal with issues. Sometimes feelings of doubt creep in or people say things that tear us down. Either of those situations can cause us to lose our site on the Lord. Matthew Henry writes:

Sin is the sickness of the soul; pardoning mercy heals it, renewing grace heals it, and for this spiritual healing we should be more earnest than for bodily health.

I may not be able to do what I 'use to do' but the Lord can still flow from me in a mighty way. I just have to make sure to not allow the enemy to tell me otherwise. I can't allow the way people treat me or the things they say to me to tear me down. I must keep looking to the Lord and listening to His direction. I am so thankful for the disposition the Lord instilled in me through my parents. I have always been a "I can do this" type of person even when I didn't know how or was afraid to do something. That disposition has become even stronger through my faith in the Lord. I am so thankful for this 'new norm' in my life because He is using it to draw me closer into relationship with Him. I may not like the challenges that go along with it but anytime I start to grumble I remember what I have gained from it.

This was the song on my lips this morning...

not to us
but to YOUR name be the glory
not to us
but to YOUR name be the glory

our hearts unfold before YOUR throne
the only place for those who know
it's not for us
it's all for YOU

send YOUR holy fire on this offering
let our worship burn for the world to see
it's not for us
it's all for YOU
for YOU

Dear Jesus,
Yes, yes, yes...You are to be glorified! Lord, everything I do...every word I say...may You be glorified! Father, I am still a bit perplexed over what You gave me during the night but I know You will reveal to me exactly what I am to receive from it. Nothing You do or say is an accident and for that I am so grateful. Lord, point me in the right direction on what path and what manner to use the tools You give to me. I pray for more of You and less of me in order to be a more effective servant. Fill me to overflowing...bless me in abundance...oh how I want You to be pleased with me. Thank You Jesus for being My Glory! Amen.

Matthew 16:18 - "We Believe"

Sometimes the Lord wakes me up during the night to pray. Last night I was awake so many times but didn't feel like it was the Lord waking me. I felt like I had given the enemy a foothold and he was the one causing me to wake up. I started praying for the Lord to be greater than the enemy. I prayed for sleep to overtake me. Before I fell back to sleep He gave me the song "We Believe" to ponder upon...

We believe in God the Father
We believe in Jesus Christ
We believe in the Holy Spirit
And He's given us new life
We believe in the crucifixion
We believe that He conquered death
We believe in the resurrection
And He's comin' back again, we believe

As I fell asleep I thought, "oh it will be so nice to sleep the rest of the night...I need strength for tomorrow." A short while later I was awake again and wondered why the Lord woke me again. He told me to quit being crabby in my spirit. Ouch! I had allowed circumstances of life to make me crabby. Once again, He brought this song to my mind...

So, let our faith be more than anthems
Greater than the songs we sing
And in our weakness and temptations
We believe, We believe!


Yes! I need to have a stronger faith to enable me to stand when life is tough. I need to believe Him in my actions more. My faith can not be just words but must be in my actions too. I need to believe more. I started praying and asking for forgiveness and I thought about how I've been praying during this time of Rosh Hoshanah. I've been asking the Lord to reveal things to me that need out of my life. Woo hoo! He is so good! As I began praising Him during the night He reminded me of the command He gave me last spring to "go deeper!" I want to be in relationship with Him exactly where He wants me to be. I want to live His will. 

My most favorite part of this song is...

And the gates of hell will not prevail!
For the power of God Has torn the veil!
Now we know Your love will never fail!
We believe, We believe!


Yes! The Lord reminded me of the place of Peter's reinstatement that we visited by the Sea of Galilee. He reminded me of the things He said to me and how much He loves me. He reminded me of the small rock that He pointed out to me. He reminded me of our relationship being 'smooth' and I was so blessed. He was not the least bit surprised by my crabbiness...nothing surprises Him. Did it change the way He feels about me? No! He loves me no matter what. That is why He turned the situation the enemy was trying to have in my life into a God-revealing moment. I love the idea that He intercedes for me (Romans 8:34) just as He interceded for Peter. He will use me just as He used Peter when I am a willing believer.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for all You do to show Your love for me. Thank You for the sacrifice You made on the cross for me. Thank You for the revelation You gave me during the night that my faith needs to go deeper. Lord, cleanse me of anything that is not of You. Fill me to overflowing with more of You and less of me. Oh Jesus, how I want to live Your will out in my life. How I so desire to be more like You. Thank You Father for being My Interceder. Amen!

Exodus 20 - Paul Wilbur

As I continue reflecting and praying through the Ten Commandments for Rosh Hashanah, I keep asking the Lord to reveal to me things I need to take care of in my spiritual life. I ask Him to draw me closer to Him and to use me more as His servant. I was thinking about how this Biblical holiday is celebrated as the New Year. Many times in our society we look at our traditional New Year as being a time to reflect but also to be a time where we start something new. A new diet, a new exercise program, etc. Unfortunately, many times our 'resolutions' go by the wayside in a short time. I pray the things the Lord reveals to me through this time to change or modify will be with me from this day on. I don't want to do what He asks of me just for a short time. When I think about the sweetness of the honey on the apple that we had last Wednesday night with the children, I am reminded of just how sweet life is when Christ is the center of it. As I blew the shofar for them, I was blessed in knowing the Lord enabled me to blow it. Hearing the sound of the shofar gave me the 'Holy Spirit goosebumps' as I thought about how many of the children live with things that are not of God. The sound from the shofar was like a covering over each and every one in the room. I was reading where the person who blows the shofar is called a Tokea which literally means "blaster." I like the idea that I 'blasted' the enemy out their lives and pray for the Lord to be greater than the enemy in every situation they deal with. I love what I was reading this morning....

The breath used by the Tokea to make the sounds of the shofar are also associated with the breathe of life, which God first breathed into Adam upon the creation of humanity.

Oh how I like the idea of breathing life over the children...so many need the holy breathe of God over their lives. I pray each one will remember that time, ponder upon it and allow God to speak to them. It may not be today; it may not even be this year. But at some point in time I pray they will receive a revelation from Him from that evening.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for loving me in so many ways but especially when You reveal things to me. Lord, I pray for forgiveness for anything I have done against You. As I pray through the Ten Commandments I pray for revelation. Lord, fill me to overflowing with more of You and less of me. Show me the way to living a life full of Your will to a greater extent than I already am. Father, today I am praying for You to be revealed to some people who know You yet are not living a life for You. I pray their eyes will be opened up to Your will. Lord, whatever it takes for them to come into relationship with You is my prayer. Thank You Jesus for being My Will. Amen.

Joshua 1 - "Courageous"

As I was reading the first chapter of Joshua I thought about the feelings Joshua must have went through as the Lord directed him to succeed Moses in leading the Israelites. In my mind, I get the picture that Joshua had already started assuming some of that role during the time of mourning for Moses. Chapter one of Joshua shows how God taught them on how to go forward. Three times Joshua is told "be strong and courageous" in just this one short chapter (vs. 6, 7, 9). As I think back on Joshua's life, he could follow this direction well because of the things he had already been through. He was with Moses during the time of the plagues and the exodus from Egypt. He also had been with Moses for many years so he need the type of leadership Moses gave to the people. Most of all he knew the type of relationship Moses had with God. Therefore, he knew it takes great faith and obedience to be God's servant. He knew he had to follow the Lord's words spoken to him....

We must follow Joshua's example.....

• We must be willing to do as the Lord asks of us. 
• We must not allow fear to stop us from doing His will.
• We must not allow the enemy to discourage us in our mission.
• We must remember the Lord is always with us.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the example of Joshua. Thank You for reminding me of his great faith and his willingness to do what You asked of him. Lord, I want to be like Joshua. I want to take what You ask of me and do it in a way that will be pleasing to You. Lord, speak to me today in a way that will show me You in a greater way than ever before. Fill me to overflowing with more of You and less of me. Jesus, use my words and actions to draw someone closer to You. Father, I pray for an anointing upon my husband today in a way that will be so clearly seen by all that You are His God. I pray for protection over him...physical, spiritual, mental, emotional...may Your strength be his strength in a whole new way today. Thank You Jesus for being Our Leader. Amen.

Psalm 63:1 - "Through All Of It"

"Life's been a journey"....those were the words going through my mind this morning. Colton Dixon's song "Through All Of It" came to my lips...

Life's been a journey.
I've seen joy, I've seen regret.
Oh and You have been my God
Through all of it

Yesterday was a day where the Lord showed Himself in some great ways. We had the 'parting of the Red Sea' in two big ways. One was my disability appeal was approved. Secondly, we had a call about Doc's hospital bill from last March finally being taken care of. God definitely chose yesterday to bless us mightily. But as I was praising Him for these things He reminded me He had them taken care of before this time. He said very clearly, "Trust me and in My time I will reveal great things for you." Woo hoo! Thank You Jesus for speaking! I love the word "for" in HIs statement. He didn't say "to" me but instead "for" me. That tells me the great things are going to be interactive between the two of us! Woo hoo!

There is a line in this song that goes..."I have won and I have lost" but when we live for the Lord we never lose. We may not get things we want or get things in the time we desire BUT when we seek the Lord's will we will always win. That is exciting to think about. When we pray for His will be our life, He will bless us in abundance.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and for the blessings of today. Thank You for the perfect timing You will bless me with with the reinstatement of my insurance and check. Thank You for the way You will bless my words and actions throughout this day as I seek more of You and less of me. Thank You for being who You are in my life. You are so awesome! Lord, I pray for the two dear ladies going through procedures this morning. Be so very near to them. Bless them mightily with being with their doctors today. Father, I also continue to pray for someone to say or do something to lead my friend's husband to You. I pray for You to become his Lord instead of the alcohol. I also pray for another friend's husband who struggles with sobriety. I pray Your strength will be his strength. Lord, be with the new Momma of the premature baby. Put people in her path today that will encourage her through You. Thank You Jesus for being The One To Bless Me! Amen.

II Timothy 4 - "Healer"

Yesterday a friend sent me this picture...

I am so grateful for this special lady the Lord has put into my life. I am grateful for the way God speaks to people and in their obedience others are encouraged. I was encouraged at the SDMI Convention by the speaker in some mighty ways. I felt like he was speaking to me in the beginning of our time together. When he asked, "Did you expect to hear from God today?" my answer was "Yes! I expect to hear from him every day." Another statement he put before us was, "Whatever you need today God is the service of." I pondered on that and was blessed in the reinforcement of that concept. I trust the Lord each and every day for everything. I have faith in Him that He will provide. Pastor Cushman gave an illustration about the Red Sea. He said we've all been to the edge of the Red Sea with a problem that appears too big. Yet God is right there with us. He will part our 'Red Sea' when and if it is in His will. The important thing to remember is that it will be in His time. As I wait for the parting of my 'Red Sea' I am trusting the Lord to reveal to me exactly what He desires of me to learn. I know this may be a time of testing from the Lord. I also know it definitely is a time of teaching from Him. I truly believe this time of teaching started six months ago on the Sea of Galilee when the Lord told me to 'go deeper.' I am not sure what all He wants me to learn but I have been confident this MS exacerbation is from the Lord and not the enemy. It was not until this past weekend that I began to have feelings as Job had. Then I began to wonder if the enemy was attacking. But yesterday when I received this from a friend I was reminded of who is in charge...

"Praying for your peace and continued confidence in our Savior's all sufficient grace and strength. I'm also praying that your ministry will continue to thrive. Don't lose hope my friend. I love you so." 

When I woke up this morning, a friend shared that when she was praying for Doc and I this verse was brought to her mind....

As I read II Timothy 4, I was reminded of how the apostle Paul felt as he wrote it to Timothy. Paul was reminding Timothy in chapter four to continue being diligent in his life for Christ. Paul was getting to the end of his life on this earth and was looking forward to eternal life with the Lord. He cautioned Timothy that people would not always treat him as they should. Some would desert him because of his beliefs and the enemy would be knocking at his door to tear his faith down. Paul shared these things because they had happened to him. I love his testimony in verse eighteen...

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Dear Jesus,
I am standing on Paul's words in II Timothy 4:17 as I continue to wait for the parting of my 'Red Sea.' I guess when I think about it there are a few 'partings' in life right now. Insurance, disability appeal, running out of medication, not getting a check this month could all be some 'partings of the Red Sea' that I'm facing. But Father I know You are in control. I know Your time is the best time for these things to be taken care of. Father, while I wait I pray for more of You and less of me in order to not lose sight of what You desire of me. I pray for Your command to 'go deeper' to be continually sought in my life. Lord, use me to be the servant You have called me to be. Enable me to knock the enemy down when he comes knocking. Father, thank You so much for the people You put into my life to encourage me. Lord, I pray for the alcoholic who does not know You to be encouraged today by someone who will bring You to him. I pray for the young mother with the premature baby to feel Your presence as she is alone at the hospital so many hours with her little one. I pray for people to be of encouragement to her in some mighty ways. Lord, You blessed me Saturday with "Healer" coming to my mind as Pastor Cushman was speaking and then for bringing it to me this morning. I do believe You are all I need and that nothing is impossible for You! Thank You for being My Encourager! Amen.

Philippians 3:13-14 - "That Was Then, This Is Now"

That was then, this is now
You're bought by the blood, saved by the Son the saints all sing about

This song has been going around in my head since Friday. I couldn't remember all the words so I went to KLOVE and read them. As I did, I started praying for people who are struggling with the concept of God's grace. The Lord brought many to my mind and I started praying for...

• the alcoholic who struggles with sobriety...struggles with when he falls off the wagon if the Lord will accept him back...wonders if his wife will finally be at her breaking point and leave him
• the one who thinks they are not good enough to be a Christian...just when they think they are the enemy throws their past up to them
• many believers who are judgmental in their actions against others who are trying to live for the Lord even with a tainted past...I pray they will realize we all have a past yet the Lord died for all of us
• the one who allows her past hurts to have control over her life
• the new believer who has not learned how to live in God's grace
• the believer the Lord gave me the word 'obedience' for this morning
• the one who the enemy is telling she is inadequate in the way she serves God
• those who are carrying baggage from the past which is effecting their lives today

So go ahead, put the past in the past
Box it up like an old photograph 
You don't have to go back
‘Cause that was then and this is now 
‘Cause that was then and this is now 

In the book of Philippians chapter three Paul gives direction to the Church of Philippi to forget what is behind them and look to the prize ahead of them.

The only way to be successful in pressing on to the goal of eternal life with the Lord is to keep the past in the past. We must not allow the enemy to drag it back into our lives. We must confess our sins and allow the Lord to forgive us each and every day. We can't confess once and think we are done. It is an on-going process. We need to start and end each day with a clean slate in order to keep our eyes on the prize. If we have never truly dealt with our past, the enemy will bring it back over and over to tear us away from the Lord. Why would God allow him to do that? Why would God not stop the enemy? It is simple. The Lord uses such things to teach us. He, Himself, also uses things to test us. It is through testing that we draw closer to Him and realize a deeper faith.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your love, mercy and grace. Thank You for the way You enabled me to work through my past in order to be who You desire of me today. Lord, may more people get to the point of living today as You want instead of living in their past. I pray against the enemy having any footholds in their lives. Lord, fill them up with more of You and less of themselves just as I pray for myself. Father, I know from experience You use my past to enable me to minister to others. But I also know my past is just that. It does not define my days. Woo hoo! You are so good! Lord, today I also pray for the one going to an attorney. I pray for doors that need opened to be opened and ones that need shut to be shut. I also continue to pray for the alcoholic who left rehab. Oh how I pray for someone to go before him who will be You to him...who will say or do something to draw him to You, Lord. Thank You for being My Goal! Amen.