I John 1:7 - "Oceans"

Another night of praying more than sleeping...what a blessing to be used by my Heavenly Father. Last night was even more special because for the first seven hours it was specifically for my husband. He has been struggling with pain when he lays down which has resulted in short nights. Last night the Lord woke me up to pray for him every time right before he woke up. He didn't have me pray against the pain but instead "Lord, fill him with whatever he needs." I found those words interesting. That is exactly how I pray for myself...for Him to fill me with Himself. When I would wake up to roll over, I would pray for Doc not to be woke up by my movement and he wasn't. At 5:30 when I woke up the Lord had me pray for some others and for some situations...

• those who are traveling this week for safety
• those who are dealing with deaths of loved ones as they go through the holidays
• some who are lonely due to not having family close by or have little contact with their family
• some who are financially struggling to realize it is their decisions that are causing the problem
• one who is holding onto a situation from years ago
• a family in turmoil among themselves and another family who appear to be at the resolve of a many year conflict
• a hurtful situation I am dealing with 
• my voice to return
• my attitude toward difficult people

I prayed for each of these situations and people to draw closer to the Lord during tough times. I snoozed again for about fifteen minutes and the Lord gave me a dream that showed my hurtful situation will be resolved. I pray it does not take the two years He showed but if it does I know He will sustain me through it. He will give me times like last night during our 'waiting time' where He told me He loved me, I am the apple of His eye, that I need to make Him first to keep my joy and I need to trust Him. He gave me the song "Oceans" to encourage me to stand in my faith. He told me as I draw deeper in relationship with Him I can become like Isaiah. He said, "I am using you in some mighty ways but there are even mightier ways in your future. Trust Me. I love you!" Wow, God! After that Doc shared He gave him I John 1. This chapter begins with discussing our relationship with God (verses 1-4). I love verse four that says, "We write this to make our {your} joy complete." God told me "Remember to keep My joy I must be first." Wow, He is so awesome in the way He gave Doc the scripture to go with what He told me! Verses 5 through ten are about the need to shine our light for Christ in this dark world. Sin keeps us from full relationship with Christ. We cannot walk in a holy life when sin is in us. Matthew Henry writes:

A message from the Lord Jesus, the Word of life, the eternal Word, we should all gladly receive. The great God should be represented to this dark world, as pure and perfect light. As this is the nature of God, his doctrines and precepts must be such. And as his perfect happiness cannot be separated from his perfect holiness, so our happiness will be in proportion to our being made holy. To walk in darkness, is to live and act against religion. God holds no heavenly fellowship or intercourse with unholy souls. There is no truth in their profession; their practice shows its folly and falsehood. The eternal Life, the eternal Son, put on flesh and blood, and died to wash us from our sins in his own blood, and procures for us the sacred influences by which sin is to be subdued more and more, till it is quite done away. While the necessity of a holy walk is insisted upon, as the effect and evidence of the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, the opposite error of self-righteous pride is guarded against with equal care. All who walk near to God, in holiness and righteousness, are sensible that their best days and duties are mixed with sin. God has given testimony to the sinfulness of the world, by providing a sufficient, effectual Sacrifice for sin, needed in all ages; and the sinfulness of believers themselves is shown, by requiring them continually to confess their sins, and to apply by faith to the blood of that Sacrifice. Let us plead guilty before God, be humble, and willing to know the worst of our case. Let us honestly confess all our sins in their full extent, relying wholly on his mercy and truth through the righteousness of Christ, for a free and full forgiveness, and our deliverance from the power and practice of sin.

Sandie shared the desire to be the light for Jesus. She said we must be Jesus in this dark world if we want to be who He desires of us.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the privilege to pray for my husband throughout the night. I praise You for him having a better night of rest even though the pain was still evident. I praise You for last night's group where You spoke so clearly. I praise You for the dream where You showed me there will be resolve to my hurtful situation. I praise You for Your cleansing power that will rid me of anything that will keep me from being a beacon of light for You. I love You so much Lord and the desire of my heart is to walk in obedience with You. Thank You for speaking to me again in the final prayer time last night. Sometimes I feel like I am already in heaven with You with the way we communicate. I must say I will be glad to be there instead of here dealing with such 'junk' as prescription costs and insurance issues. But until that time comes I will continue to trust You. May You bless us with resolve on the issue from yesterday in a timely manner. Until that resolve happens I am trusting You and not worrying. Fill me to overflowing with more of You so people will see/hear You instead of me today. Thank You for being My Communicator. Amen.