I Peter 1 - "Mighty To Save"

Oh how I pray for those who are lost to be found....for those who have turned away from the Lord to be back in relationship with Him...for those who have been misled about Him to be enlightened. It is only through His love, His mercy and His grace that we can come into relationship with Him. But being in relationship with Him is not enough. We must surrender all of our being to Him in order to spend eternity with Him. 

So take me as You find me--all my fears and failures.

Fill my life again.
I give my life to follow everything I believe in.
I surrender. (I surrender.)

Savior, He can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save.
He is mighty to save.
Forever, author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave.
Jesus conquered the grave.

Yes! Jesus died on the cross and rose again in order that we might live. He paid the ultimate sacrifice in order for all of us to have the opportunity to live. He surrendered everything just for us. Why? Because His Father asked that of Him. Now He is asking of us to live surrendered lives for Him. That does not seem like much compared to what He gave up. His life compared to us having to give up money, time, etc. sure doesn't seem to even compare. Everything we have is His anyway. 

If one wants to enjoy the inheritance of eternal life, they must decide to follow the Lord. I Peter 1 tells us that while we are waiting on our inheritance we must be strong in our faith. In verse five it tells us as we wait on this earth and go through trials it will be our faith that gets us through. It tells us people who follow Him can get through trials by His power that comes through their faith. The purpose of trials is found in verse seven. 

 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Once again we are given the direction to rejoice through trials. Why? Because it is through trials that our faith grows. Peter gives further direction in verse sixteen as He quotes the Lord from Leviticus 11:45. “Be holy, because I am holy.” That is not a suggestion but a command from the Lord. The word 'holy' means to be set apart. The only way to be holy is to be surrendered to His will and His way. One must set themselves apart and surrender their whole being to the Lord in order to do His will.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for having me pray for people not only to draw into relationship with You but to be surrendered to You. Father, open eyes that are blinded from Your will. I pray for a spirit of acceptance to Your will in more people. I pray for more people to have the desire to filled with You. Lord, I pray for more of You to be in me. I want people to see You in everything I do. I want them to hear You in all my words. Fill me with the Holy Spirit to where You are oozing out of me. Thank You Jesus for being My Holiness. Amen.

James 1:2-3 - "Just Be Held"

I do not think it is a coincidence that the Lord woke me up singing Casting Crowns "Just Be Held" with the way I have been praying for three dear sisters going through 'junk' with family members. All three of these ladies have a strong faith but right now their faith is being tested in some mighty big ways. I have never gone through what they are going through so I can't relate to their situations personally but I can relate to struggles. How I pray they will know the Lord has not left them. 

If your eyes are on the storm

You'll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You'll know I always have and I always will

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

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

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 won't let go

I pray they will not give up praying but if they do I pray they will know I am standing in the gap for them. I also pray the enemy out of each of their situations. He is greater than anything the enemy puts before us. Oh I how pray for peace for each of them. His peace is the only thing to get us through the trials that come our way. I know while they are going through these times it is hard to understand but I pray they will stand on James 1:2-3.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the privilege to pray for my dear sisters. The human side of me wishes they did not have to go through what they are going through. They are not the ones who have allowed sin into their lives but instead their family members have. I pray for an awakening in their family members. Lord, I stand in the gap for my sisters. They are weary. I know one feels like her prayers are hitting a ceiling. Lord, may they each rest in You and feel Your presence today. May they know You are there for them and hear them. Father, draw them closer to You through this time of turmoil in their life. Thank You Jesus for being My Strength In The Midst of Trials. Amen.

Proverbs 1:20-33 - "God's Not Dead"

4:16 AM...God woke me up out of a sound sleep to pray for a new pastor and his wife. I asked God for specifics and He gave me these words from "God's Not Dead",,,

Let heaven roar and fire fall
Come shake the ground
With the sound of revival


Yes! Revival in spirits is needed so greatly in our world. I'm not sure why the Lord had me praying for them nor why He gave me this song but I was obedient in what He called me to do.

I started thinking about how yesterday had some pretty deep prayer requests. I had a phone call from one retired pastor's wife who is going through so much 'junk' and so very drained. I prayed with another friend who needs prayer for a very difficult situation with a grown child. I've been praying for another pastor's wife who is going through a tough situation in their family. Sometimes praying becomes so deeply hard. It is so difficult to see people dealing with such 'junk'...I am crying out to the Lord for Him to be their strength. 

I told Doc that twenty years ago a pastor would not have had some of the same prayer requests as today. Our world is decaying so fast. In Bible study last night Jim talked about how many people do not fear God. It shows in how they do not respect Him. 

Proverbs 1:20-33 gives a word picture of what it is like for those who do not fear God. Christ is Wisdom. The desire of His heart is for people to be in relationship with Him. There are three types of people in this set of Scripture. There are the simpleminded, scorners and fools. All three have rejected God. The writing is on the wall, so to speak, on what will become of those who continue to not fear Him. They will not live in eternity with the Lord but rather will live in hell. Matthew Henry writes...

"The love of Christ, and the promises mingled with his reproofs, surely should have the attention of every one. It may well be asked, how long men mean to proceed in such a perilous path, when the uncertainty of life and the consequences of dying without Christ are considered? Now sinners live at ease, and set sorrow at defiance; but their calamity will come. Now God is ready to hear their prayers; but then they shall cry in vain. Are we yet despisers of wisdom? Let us hearken diligently, and obey the Lord Jesus, that we may enjoy peace of conscience and confidence in God; be free from evil, in life, in death, and for ever."

It is only through a relationship with the Lord that one can have the promise of eternal life. Verses twenty eight through thirty three are a picture of what it will look like at the end of this world as we know it. When the Lord takes His people to live in eternity with Him, there will be some who will not have such peace. What is it going to take for people to fear the Lord? There are some who are blatantly refusing Him. There are some who are pretending they are following Him yet truly are not. There are some who are not listening to His Voice. The simpleminded, the scorners and the fools. Oh how we need revival in our land. We need people to desire Him to be their Lord and Master. We need the Holy Spirit to fill more people. These things will only happen when people get to the end of themselves and surrender. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the opportunity to pray for my friends this morning. Father, I pray they will be filled to overflowing with more of You. I also pray for their church to be on fire for You. I pray that same prayer for our church...for all churches. Oh how we need You to set us all on fire. We need Your Holy Spirit to come down in a mighty way. Lord, there are some complacent people in our churches. I pray for You to grab ahold of them and make them realize the end is near and they need to get right with You. I pray for the simpleminded, the scorners and the fools to come into relationship with You. Oh how my heart breaks for the ones in difficult situations with family members. Father, be their peace. I pray You will fill my cup to overflowing with more of You. I pray for Your words to be my words and Your actions to be my actions. Holy Spirit reign in me in a mighty way today and every day. Thank You Jesus for being My Confidence. Amen.

James 4:7 - "Glow In The Dark"

I woke up singing "Glow In The Dark" and was immediately blessed with the way the Lord encourages me.

Doesn't matter how deep, how dark the night is
Keep hoping, keep on shining
And they'll see His light burning in your heart
And if the road gets rough, just keep your head up
Let the world see what you're made of
That His love's alive in your deepest parts
Like a flame, like a burning star you can shine right where you are
He made you to glow in the dark

Woo hoo! What a blessing to know we have hope when we have the Lord living in us. To think that He uses us in ways we can't even imagine even during tough times is amazing. Actually, He may use us more during those times. Last night as we were studying the story of Daniel being in the lions den Doc reminded us that when we are in a 'lions den' we are apt to draw deeper in our relationship with the Lord. As we talked about prayer I reflected upon the change in my relationship with Him when I got to the point with this MS exacerbation with saying, "It is OK if I can't walk on my own again or if I can't go back to the hospital as Medical Chaplain." In order to say that, my faith first had to go to another level. 

I love this quote by Bob Benson. I don't want to hold anything back from the Lord. I don't ever want to be accused of living a James 4:7 type of life. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them. I want to live His will. In order to do that I first must hear from Him and listen to Him. Before I can do that I must be in relationship with Him. Oh how I love to sit and chat with Him! I love to know that throughout my day He is always with me and always listening to me. It is so awesome to be living where I am right at this moment. If anyone would have asked me six months ago if I would be content with life as it is right now, I would have said 'no!' Little did I know how He was going to work in and through me by taking away everyday things from me. Once again I am reminded of the realization I had when my friend and I talked at Pastors and Spouse Retreat...it's OK!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for taking things from me so I could go deeper with You. Thank You for loving me enough to care about such things as the perfect song to wake me up to with the perfect quote that I had been pondering with the perfect picture I took at Beulah Beach to put the quote on. Woo hoo! What a blessing You are to me, Lord. Oh how I pray for more of You so I can 'glow in the dark' so much brighter! Lord, I pray for a revelation today. I am not sure what that is about but You brought those words to me so I am praying them. I praise You for the answered prayers for my friends with no cancer. I pray for my dear friend with shingles on her face...bless her with a healing Lord. I pray she will draw nearer to You as she goes through this time of such awful pain. Lord, use me to make a difference in someone's life today. May I speak Your words and walk with Your attitude. Lord, thank You for being My Ignitor! Amen.

Hebrews 12:11 - "As Long As It Takes"

Last night in my studies I read a lot about being in the "in-between time" after going through a major life event such as a death, divorce, illness, etc. God wants to prepare us for the next step in life. We may want to rush things but it must be in God's time. In one of my textbooks it said there are four 'D' emotions we go through. They are: disorientation, disengagement, disenchantment and despair. These things can pull one down into another D and that is depression. 

It is in the "in-between times" that our faith can grow deeper. In the first chapter of the book of James we are given direction on persevering through trials. Verses two through four reads: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (NIV). Being joyful is the last thing on a person’s mind when in the "in-between times" but when one follows this advice the "in-between time" will go a lot easier and spiritual growth will occur along with healing. There are a lot of things that must occur during this time. One is self-examination. Another is realizing the end is gone and embracing a newness. 

I love this saying in Reflecting God: “Wisdom is the honey that the bees of the in-between times make; you can’t find it anywhere else” (Tracy et al 140). God’s wisdom is the best wisdom of all. When one seeks it, they will be blessed. His wisdom is what will make the difference in living life on this earth and living life on this earth for eternity. Honey is a sweetness...wisdom from the Lord is a sweetness! Woo hoo! I like that!

I am choosing three 'L' things I am doing in my "in-between time" as many things have 'died' in my life and I await the Lord to reveal my next step. This time is not one of just waiting. It is not one where I do nothing. It is one where I seek more of Him.

• Look to the Lord for His direction...
• Learn from the Lord as He takes me deeper into His Word...
• Listen for the Lord for what He has for me...

Waiting is not an easy thing to do but when we wait on the Lord we will be blessed in abundance. We cannot rush anything but instead need to wait on Him. Hebrews 12:11 reads, No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace (NIV). Amen!

This morning I am standing on the words to "As Long As It Takes"...

I'm gonna stay here in this place, as long as it takes.
I want You to hear me say, oh Lord have Your way.
Even if You take me through pain to make me more like You,
I'll stay, I'll stay, as long as it takes.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for this "in-between time" that I continue to go deeper with You. Thank You for Your wisdom. Thank You for Your love, mercy and grace. Thank You for Your peace that is in me. Father, I pray for more of You to overflow from me. May Your words be my words and Your attitude by my attitude in all I do. Lord, there are so many people to pray for. Meet the spiritual needs of all. I pray for physical healing in bodies and emotional healing for so many. Father, speak to me today in a way that I will not only hear but especially I will listen to. Thank You Jesus for being My Waiting Place. Amen.

Psalm 45 - "Because He Lives (Amen)"

Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
Every fear is gone
I know He holds my life my future in His hands

Amen
Amen
I'm alive
I'm alive
Because He lives

Yes!!!! The Lord in my life is why I can "face tomorrow" without fearing what it holds. He is the reason I can have joy even through the trials of this life. I loved how Doc reminded us in the sermon yesterday about having the Lord's joy. The only way it happens is through the Holy Spirit.

The Lord took me to Psalm 45 this morning. This particular Psalm is one of prophecy of the Lord returning for His people. I love the word picture of verses three through five of the Lord coming for His children. Matthew Henry writes, "The arrows of conviction are very terrible in the hearts of sinners, till they are humbled and reconciled; but the arrows of vengeance will be more so to his enemies who refuse to submit. All who have seen his glory and tasted his grace, rejoice to see him, by his word and Spirit, bring enemies and strangers under his dominion."

Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
With Your glory and Your majesty.
4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
The peoples fall under You.

What a blessing yesterday to have one who we've been praying for to come to the altar during prayer time and accept the Lord. I told him, the enemy will try to tear him down but the Lord is greater. He has to accept the Lord's strength to stand up against the enemy when he tries to bring up his past. Yesterday is yesterday. It is gone. When he repeated the words after me and accepted the Lord into His life, his sins were wiped away. He has a clean slate. Not only that but he has freedom through Jesus Christ. He is alive because Jesus lives in him. Woo hoo! 

Verse eleven of Psalm 45 reads, The beauty of holiness, both on the church and on particular believers, is, in the sight of Christ, of great price, and very amiable. Yesterday I had a  friend ask me how I was doing. I told him I was walking better but just so tired. The fatigue is so great right now. His reply was, "Well, you may be tired but you're still beautiful!" I chuckled at that but then this morning as I read this verse I thought about how it's Jesus in me that brings out His beauty. I love the idea of "beauty of holiness" flowing out of me. That is pretty cool to ponder! Not only am I His creation in my body but I am also His creation in my spirit! Woo hoo! Oh man, is He ever good in encouraging me! What a blessing it is to live in His holiness!

Dear Jesus,
This morning I pray for Larry and the decision he made to live for you. I pray for Your strength to be His strength. Lord, empower him greatly to stand against the enemy. There are people in his life that want to pull him down. I pray against their actions. Lord, I wish he could be in a bubble protected from the things of this world but I know we have to deal with such things in order to grow our faith. Strengthen him greatly. I also pray for other believers who need their faith strengthened. Lord, whatever it takes to get people to realize they need You instead of depending on themselves. Father, thank You for Your love, grace and mercy. Thank You for all You do for us. I pray for my cup to be spilling over with more of You. Lord, be in my words, my actions and my thoughts in a way that people will see You in me. Give me more boldness for You. I pray for more transparency for You. Thank You for being My Savior. Amen.

Hebrews 12:28-29 - "From The Inside Out"

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Yes! The Lord is so good at reminding us of things we need to hear. First of all, He is everlasting. When things of this earth pass away, He remains. How we live while on this earth determines whether we will live with Him for eternity. That does not mean how much money we give away or how many times we go to church. What it does mean is whether or not we live a life of surrender to Him. Oh how I pray for more people to get to the point in their life where they give everything to Him. That is when He will be glorified. The only way to do that is say and live this song...

My heart and my soul, I give You control
Consume me from the inside out, Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise

"Let justice and praise become my embrace..." That word 'justice' is one that can really mess a person up. We hear people say, "It's not fair!" Was it fair that Jesus died on the cross to save us? In the world's eyes the answer would be 'NO!' but in God's eyes it would be 'YES!' It was all part of His plan. We can't always see the big picture of things we are going through. I am so thankful I am to the point in my life where 'why?' does not matter. The end result is all that matters. I use to spend days upon end searching for the 'why' but I did not need to. Once I surrendered to Him I realized He is in control and will reveal the 'why' to me if and when the time comes. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminders this morning of the joy of being surrendered to You. Yes, there are still situations I could fret over but I am thankful for the way You love me through them. Hearing "everything is all taken care of" in one phone call only to hear "give us three business days" in the next was an emotional time but it did not change the fact that You are in control. I pray for more of You in me today so people will have no doubt that You are my strength, the One I depend upon and the One in control of all my words and actions. Father, I pray for not just part but all of my words and actions to be a blessing to You today. "Consume me from the inside out, Lord" is my plea. Thank You Jesus for being The One I Am Surrendered To. Amen.

I Peter 5:6-7 - "Cast My Cares"

The Lord woke me up singing "Cast My Cares" and immediately brought four special men to my mind to pray for. I love them all so much. I am so blessed to call one of them my husband and the other three my boys. I pray for them regularly to know I love them but most importantly for them to know the Lord loves them and is their strength. Today I am praying...

• Doc - To hear from the Lord for direction for the church...for a healing in his physical body...for people to see Jesus in Him...to go deeper in His spiritual walk
• Adam - To be encouraged when life gets tough...to lean on the Lord for His strength...to be the husband the Lord desires of him...safety as he travels 
• Paul - To know the Lord's strength is His strength...to be the husband and Daddy the Lord desires of him...for spiritual strength as he goes throughout his days in the office when it becomes challenging...safety as he travels
• Ben - To hear from the Lord for direction...to be encouraged in knowing the Lord is his strength when life is challenging...to be the husband and Daddy the Lord desires of him...physical healing in his body

I pray they each will look to the Lord throughout this day and every day. I pray the desire of their heart is to do the desire of His heart. I pray they will know He is the Anchor for them as they are on the mountains and in the valleys of life. May the words to this song speak clearly to each of them to cast their cares on the Lord. May they embrace I Peter 5:6-7 and be encouraged.

When fear feels bigger than my faith
And struggles steals my breath away
When my back pressed up against the wall
With the weight of my worries stacked up tall
You're strong enough to hold it all

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

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for this time this morning to pray for my guys. I praise You for encouraging them today as they go throughout their day. I pray for blessings to be in abundance upon them. Lord, direct their paths in the way You so desire for them. I pray they will be filled with more of You so they are overflowing with You. Lord, may people hear and see You in them. I pray for more of You in myself. I pray You will be glorified in all I do today. Lord, bless me as I bless others and in turn bless You. Oh Jesus, how I want to fulfill the desires of Your heart.  Thank You for Paul's call yesterday that encouraged me so greatly. How it blesses a Momma's heart to hear scripture out of her adult son! Thank You for being My Anchor. Amen.

Joshua 1:9 - "From The Inside Out"; "This Is The Day"

Yesterday was one of "those days" where it was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other. The fatigue was so great and I was so emotional and cried a few times. I prayed and asked God to take it away but that didn't happen so I knew it was there for a reason. I struggled with going to church but tried. After getting there I cried again and told Doc I wanted to come home. Before that could happen people came in and before we knew it, it was time to start so I stayed. As soon as we got home and I warmed up supper and then went to bed. Now here it is ten hours later and I am praying it is a better day physically and emotionally. I received this message this morning from my dear friend Sheryl...

I woke up today with this song in my head and your name was to go with it. I don't know the reason, but I started my day in prayer for you. I pray that God uses this song to minister to you. Love ya, sister!

Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise

Oh how I failed yesterday at praising Him through the way I was feeling in my physical and emotional body. I allowed the fatigue, shakies and tears to over shadow the joy of the day. 
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

Yes! Everything that I am...that I do is for His glory. I have said all along that He will be glorified through everything I go through with this MS.
My heart, my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out

Dear Jesus,
You know I love You...I lean on You...I want to do Your will. I'm sorry I didn't praise You through yesterday. Lord, please forgive me. I pray today will be a better day in my body but if it is not then I pray You will empower me to give You glory. Father, yesterday is gone. Now I understand even greater why You woke me up with "Today Is The Day" in my mind. Wow, Lord! You are so awesome in the way You encourage me! Thank You for Sheryl and her obedient heart...Lord, bless her as she leads her congregation. I also pray a blessing upon my husband as he prepares for Sunday. Lord, speak so clearly to him as to what You desire of him to say. I don't know if I will leave this house today but even if I don't I pray for You to be seen in me and heard in my words. Fill me to overflowing with more of You. Father, I am standing on the words in this song today..."Today is the day You have made; I will rejoice and be glad in it." Woo hoo! Thank You Jesus for being My Encourager! Amen

Psalm 121 - "Lord, I'm Ready Now"

I woke up this morning singing a song Plumb sings called "Lord I'm Ready Now" and immediately started praying for some people who need to get to the end of themselves and allow God to work a miracle in their life. Some of them are ready while others are still oblivious to the healing power of the Lord. He is greater than addiction to prescription pain killers. He is greater than heroin. He is greater than alcoholism. He will give His strength to those who will accept it and embrace it. He will give His mighty power to those who surrender to Him. Oh how I pray for these ones to allow Him to work in and through them in a mighty way...

• the alcoholic who is separated from his family
• the recovering alcoholic who is struggling with temptation to go back to 'just one more drink'
• the young mother/wife who is detoxing from prescription pain killers
• the father/husband who is listening to the enemy and tearing his family apart
• the young man who fell back into the pit of drug addiction
• the young mother who got caught up in her schemes of lies and cheating

Dear Jesus, I pray they will open their eyes to You. Do whatever it takes to get them to the end of themselves and to allow You to heal them. I pray they will get to the point of surrender so You can be glorified through their situations. Father, put someone before them today that will do or say something to make a difference in their lives. I praise You for Your love, grace and mercy that brought me back into relationship with You. I praise You for the surrender of my life that enables You to work in and through me. Lord, empower my words today. Fill me with more of You so people will hear and see You in me. Fill me to overflowing with Your love. Thank You Jesus for being My Sanctifier. Amen.

Matthew 6:6; 7:7 - "Break Every Chain"

Yesterday was just one of those days where people and dire situations were brought to me to pray for.....

• As I prayed for one marriage I cried out to the Lord, "I don't know what to even pray for..." He was quick to remind me that He knows and that is all that matters. I prayed for the Lord to give strength and grace. 
• Another request I received was for deliverance from addiction. Oh how my heart breaks for not only the family but for the one who is in the state of addiction. It is so powerful and so devastating to all involved. Even when one tries to break free from the addiction it is a constant battle. The enemy wants to win but God must have victory. I pray for this one to have victory before the enemy kills him.
• One lady called and shared her story that sounded like it was a made-for-TV movie. It saddens me how much 'junk' gets into people's lives. After I prayed with her over the phone I hung up and thought to myself, "How can people not expect to deal with junk when they live in it?" The Lord was quick to remind me they need to be enlightened on how to live in His light.
• There was a threat of a shooter at Plymouth High School. I prayed for protection over the students and teachers. I also prayed for the one who gave the threat to get the help he or she needs.
• One of our children from church was taken to the ER and then transferred to Akron Children's. I wanted to be with them yet that was not possible so the phone had to be my tool to use to comfort them. This young one has been through some tough things in his life. I pray for God's protection to be upon his heart. I pray for there to be no ill effects from the drugs that were in him when he was born. May the Lord's strength be his Mamaw's strength as they await the cardiologist to see him. 
• I asked about an update on the fourteen year old son of missionaries who was transferred to a Children's Hospital with a high fever. He continues with a fever and they still don't know what is wrong. I prayed for wisdom for doctors, comfort for him as he is in a hospital where he doesn't speak the same language and strength for the family.
• Hunter, who has battled cancer for a couple of years, is having surgery today so I prayed for him and for the doctors to have wisdom.
• My dear friend who is depressed over needing help with her care as she battles sciatic pain...I prayed for her to be encouraged.
• It was a blessing to pray at the City Council meeting where five firefighters were recognized for 219 combined years of service. 
• A dear friend who is struggling with physical ailments and what appears to be the diagnosis of a life-changing disease. I pray for the appointment today to reveal it not to be this disease. I pray for a healing in her body...physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
• A man who is struggling with the diagnosis of three debilitating diseases.
• A pastor who needs to hear from the Lord on the direction he needs to take not just for the church but most importantly in his personal spiritual life.

I am so grateful I can pray and know the Lord hears my prayers. I also am grateful for the fact that I don't have to have the perfect words or try to figure out the answers. The Lord has that all taken care of! I am also grateful for my prayer life being a Matthew 6:6 type of prayer. That is how I can live a Matthew 7:7 life!

Dear Jesus,
I praise Your Holy Name for listening to my prayers! I praise You for the way You are working in each and every situation. I am reminded this morning of the song "Break Every Chain" and say YES...there are many chains that need broken. "There's an army rising up..." Thank You for using me as one in Your army of prayer warriors. Lord, guide me today to do Your will. Fill me with more of You so I can do what You so desire. Bless my words...bless my steps...bless my attitude...may I be Christ-like in all I do. Thank You for the opportunity to have lunch with my dear friend who I miss so much. Bless our time together. Lord, I also pray for our EMS personnel who are on scene at a rollover crash. Give them what they need in this situation. I pray for the one involved in the crash. Thank You Jesus for being My Director. Amen.

Philippians 4:11-13 - "The River"

A dear friend whose wife went home with Jesus earlier this year said, "My faith is in God and not in the outcome I want." Wow! Did that statement ever hit me to the core. This week-end was one of revelation to me about my current situation. During the time of my Spiritual Retreat Thursday He reminded me this season I am in is because He is preparing me for a great change. Then in a conversation I had with a friend on Saturday He revealed to me that I truly am "OK" with this season. I had never really thought about it until in talking with her the 'light bulb came on' so to speak. I am content. Wow! In the beginning I struggled with not 'doing what I was use to doing' and being for people what they were use to me being. Now I am blessed with the knowledge that where I am is exactly where the Lord desires me to be. Now don't get wrong. I do not believe God wants me to have MS because His Word tells us to pray "on earth as it is in heaven" and there is no MS in heaven. But I do believe He is using the MS to be glorified.

Yesterday during the sermon entitled "Guard Your Heart" I started thinking about how important it is that I do that, especially during this time. I have the choice to allow the enemy a foothold and tear our lives apart or stand firm in my faith and be a blessing to the Lord. Over the weekend with being at Pastors/Spouse Retreat I had several times where I felt 'bad' because we couldn't do this or that because of my physical limitations. We couldn't hike 'like we use to' or I have to rest more 'than I use to' and those thoughts were starting to get to me until the Lord wrapped His arms around me and said, "It's OK!" I praise His Holy Name for those simple words. "It's OK!" Once again that word "OK" came into my path. "It's OK!" Yes!

I am standing on the words of Paul in Philippians 4 for the secret to being "OK"...

11 Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. 12 I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. 13 I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.] (Amplified)

That very last part is where I am intentional in living....'confident peace'! It is learning that "OK" is truly the place to be, in knowing the Lord is my strength and being self-sufficient in His sufficiency that His peace is found. I praise His Holy Name for His peace in the midst of what seems like chaos. My Father is not a Father of chaos but instead is a Father of Peace. Woo hoo! We don't have to live in chaos when we surrender fully to His will and to His way. His peace is our peace when we allow Him to use our circumstances to mold us.

Mike preached on four points on how to guard your heart....
1) Prepare/be ready - "Meekness is not weakness. It's strength under control!"
2) Saturate yourself in the Word of the Spirit
3) Surrender by submitting
4) Stay accountable
I loved this statement he made, "Guarding our heart allows us to live in The River." Yes! That is where I want to live. I want to live in His presence 24/7...hearing from Him...feeling Him...knowing His will for my life. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for reminding me that I am 'OK'! Thank You for loving me so much! You are so awesome. Father, this morning I pray for my dear friend David who misses Terri so much. I pray for Your loving arms to wrap around him as he goes throughout these days without her beside him. Lord, thank You for the promise You gave him that he shared. What a blessing! "My faith is in God and not in the outcome I want." Yes, Lord! My faith is in You through it all. Father, I also pray for my dear friend who is going through a dark time with her marriage. Strengthen her, Lord. Open her husband's eyes up to Your will for his life. Lord, I also am praying for the little one still in the hospital. I pray she will continue to grow and be able to come home. Bless her family in a mighty way as they go through this time. I pray for the couple who had twins and one went on to be with You. Comfort their hearts and enable them to lean on Your strength. Father, there are so many people and situations to pray for. I am grateful You already know the outcome for each one. Bless those going through difficult times. Open eyes and hearts to You. Thank You Jesus for being My River! Amen.

II Corinthians 5:17 - "Through All of It"

What a blessed message from Brother Mike Adams last night! I wish everyone could have heard it, especially those going through times of being beat up by the enemy. He encouraged us to arm ourselves with the Word of God. We have divine power through His Word and through His Spirit. Woo hoo! I loved hearing...

"Jesus isn't going to tell you what you can't do but what you can do!" 

"He called...He loves you...He will use you!!!"

"Build yourself up through scripture and tell the devil to take a hike!"

"It's a battleground, not a playground!"

"Victory happens when you draw a line in the sand Biblically!"

"We were created for freedom!"

He encouraged us to think about our words. Saying things like 'never' or 'he/she will never change' can become a stronghold in our life. These are the type of strongholds the enemy thrives in. I was thinking about the message afterwards. I do not like to give the enemy credit for anything. I believe he is given credit way too many times when it actually is the Lord working in and through us trying to grow our faith. I struggle sometimes with thinking 'what did I do to allow the enemy into my life?' He is tricky and can come in through something as simple as our words. He also can come into our lives through people, even those who appear to be 'good' in their spirit.

I love the words by Paul in II Corinthians 3:18. “We all with unveiled face, we have no obstructions, nothing blocking our view, behold as in a clear glass the glory of the Lord.”  Woo hoo! As we look to Him and strive to live like Him, we are transformed into His image through the Spirit. I have been studying about the idea of becoming Christ-like. I know in conversation with others many have trouble with even thinking such a notion. But that should be the goal of all believers. The Holy Spirit can, and will, transform us when we surrender everything to Him. We also need to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. He will use Scripture, sound preaching, our studying of the Word, etc. to enable us to draw closer to Him. This is His job while we are on this earth in order for us to be glorified in our death. The purpose of the cross was not just to save us but to save us in order for the Holy Spirit to grow us into His likeness. That is pretty profound to think about. Some struggle with the idea. But His Word tells us in II Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Yes! When we accept Christ as our Savior, that is the first step to spending eternity with Him. We must strive to live a holy life while on this earth. 

I was reading something about being adopted into God's family that caught my eye. It reads, "Adoption gives us the name and the title and the rights, regeneration gives us the nature of our new family, the spiritual genetics of our new family. " Woo hoo! I love that last part...'the spiritual genetics of our new family.' We were chosen to become like Christ! That is exciting! It is a miracle the way the Holy Spirit changes us from being a sinful man into a surrendered man. A miracle! I am a miracle! Woo hoo! One of the perks of striving to be Christlike is that of drawing into an intimate relationship with the Lord. Feeling His breathe and His touch...hearing His voice...these are things that are not possibe until one completely surrenders. I remember having glimpses of these from time to time but to actually experience them on a regular basis is where I feel the most blessed.

We have a choice to walk in freedom or to allow the ways of the world to have control of us. The choice to be Christlike may seem difficult but when one surrenders everything to the Lord it really is not difficult at all. Yes, there are still times of dealing with the enemy through others but when one is striving to be Christlike His supernatural power will overtake anything that comes our way.

Dear Jesus,
You are so awesome! Woo hoo! I feel like I am ready to jump out of my skin this morning...I am so excited! Thank You for the Word that has been spoken over us these last two days. Thank You for the reminders that have been brought into my mind. Lord, thank You for the way You use Your Holy Spirit to speak to me, empower me, love on me...woo hoo! Father, my heart is breaking for my friend who is walking a road I have never walked. I pray for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to come down upon her today with what she is dealing with. Lord, may You be glorified through victory to be had in this situation. Holy Spirit, come down upon this situation in a mighty way. Thank You Jesus for being My Freedom Maker! Amen.

Matthew 6:19-21 - "My Deliverer"

I was reminded of Matthew 6:19-21 yesterday....

When we go out to eat, we try to ask our waitress/waiter if there is a way that we can ask God to bless them when we pray. We have experienced all sorts of replies to that question. Everything from a "No, I'm OK" followed by them hurriedly leaving the table to a full blown-out story of what is going on in their life. Sometimes people are afraid we are going to ask them to participate. We do not do it to embarrass anyone but rather to bless them. Yesterday when I asked 'Myra' that question she got tears in her eyes but said "No" and quickly left. There was something going on in her life and I prayed for God to reveal it to me before we left the restaurant. Right away He impressed upon me she has a financial need. I prayed about what to do. I knew I didn't have a lot of cash on me but asked Him to direct me. He impressed upon me that her financial need would not look near as great to me as to her. Alrighty then....what does that mean? I felt a little down until I thought about it. He blesses us, plain and simple. The purpose of Him blessing us is so we can bless others. That perked my spirit up! Very clearly He wanted me to give her $20. I kind of wrestled with this because in today's world what will $20 do? Not a whole lot! I found it interesting that $20 is my "weekly allowance" and here I was being asked to give it to someone with a great need. I can blow $20 very quickly without really thinking too much about it. And yet the Lord was saying $20 would cover her need! I do believe He had a lesson for me yesterday far greater than $20!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for being so real in my life. Thank You for speaking to me in a way I can hear. Lord, I love our relationship and am grateful for each and every time we have an experience like yesterday. Here I thought I was blessing someone in need when I realized You were teaching me as well! You sure multi-task great! Father, bless Myra in some mighty ways. I pray she saw You through us yesterday. I pray a healing in her life that is so incomprehensible there is no doubt that You are in the midst! Father, I woke up singing "My Deliverer" and I am so thankful for the way You delivered me from 'junk' of this world and brought me into a life of freedom. Thank You Jesus for being My Multi-Tasker! Amen.