John 3:16; multiple others - "Reckless Love"

The words to "Reckless Love" have such great meaning...

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

I watched a video last night with service men singing this song and can't get it out of my head. It is about how God never quits loving on us. He never gives up on us. I am forever grateful for that. When I walked away, He continued loving me. When I turned back to Him, He took me in open arms. There are so many people in this world who believe they have gone too far to ever return to God or are so 'bad' He would never love them. But He loves us all. He loves us so much that He sacrificed His One and Only Son on the cross for our sins. Christ's death did not cover just some people's sins but everyone's sins. His love is not reckless in the human sense. Every aspect of His love is for a purpose. But when humans look at the way He loves, it appears reckless in the sense that He does not think about the impact on Himself when He loves on people. One example in the Bible is when He (Jesus) interacted with the Samaritan woman. He did not think about what others would say about Him talking to her. Instead He did what He knew in His nature and interacted with her. This interaction changed her life. The writer of this song, Cory Asbury, wrote:

"When I use the phrase, “the reckless love of God”, I’m not saying that God Himself is reckless. I am, however, saying that the way He loves, is in many regards, quite so. What I mean is this: He is utterly unconcerned with the consequences of His actions with regards to His own safety, comfort, and well-being. His love isn’t crafty or slick. It’s not cunning or shrewd. In fact, all things considered, it’s quite childlike, and might I even suggest, sometimes downright ridiculous. His love bankrupted heaven for you. His love doesn’t consider Himself first. His love isn’t selfish or self-serving. He doesn’t wonder what He’ll gain or lose by putting Himself out there."

This is the kind of love I desire to have for others. When He calls me to love on someone who is unlovable, I want to love on them without questioning Him. When He puts someone in my mind to contact, I desire to be His servant in the situation. There are many Scriptures associated with this song but the one that stands out the most to me is John 3:16.

Verse 1:

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me

Speaking of God's people in Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

You have been so, so good to me

Psalm 13:6 (NLT) I will sing to the LORD because He is good to me.

Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me

Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

You have been so, so kind to me

Psalms 117:2 For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!

Chorus:

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Ephesians 3:19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Jeremiah 31:3 The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”

Romans 5:7-8 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine

Jesus said in Luke 15:3-7 So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Galatians 2:16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Verse 1:

When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me

You have been so, so good to me

Romans 5:8, 10 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us... For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me

You have been so, so kind to me

Ephesians 2:3-4 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

Chorus:

And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine

And I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Titus 3:4-7 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Bridge:

There's no shadow You won't light up

Mountain You won't climb up

Coming after me

There's no wall You won't kick down

Lie You won't tear down

Coming after me

Jesus said in Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Psalm 23:6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. 

John 4:23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 

Chorus:

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine

And I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Jesus said in Matthew 18:12-14 “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for having a 'reckless' type of love where You do not stop and think of the impact it will have on You. I desire more of this type of love in my life. I pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me up to where Your love oozes out of me in such a way there will be no doubt that You are the Lord over my life. I pray for those who are not in relationship with You to have someone love on them with Your love so they will desire You. I pray for those who have fallen away to return to the depths of Your arms. I pray for those who are saved yet still holding onto 'stuff' to allow You to cleanse them fully. Lord, this morning I am praying for a dear one who is being admitted to the hospital with afib. I also am praying for a family with multiple physical issues but most importantly spiritual issues. May You become the God in their life instead of the gods of this world. I continue to pray for a family in turmoil and a couple in crisis. Once again, may You become greater than the selfishness that is being shown in these relationships. Oh how life can be so different when people quit thinking about their wants and desires and begin focusing on being Your love. Thank You Jesus for being My Reckless Love. Amen.

Matthew 6:6; 7:7 - "When We Pray"

The words to "When People Pray" are powerful. They tell a story of what life could be like if everyone would pray. 

All the world starts changing when the church starts praying
Strongholds start to break
Oh, when we pray
Prison walls start shaking at the sound of praising
Nothing stays the same
Oh, when we pray

Lives would be changed and the world as we know it would no longer be. Disease and illness would be diminished. Broken relationships would be repaired. People would live in harmony. It is hard to comprehend why many believers do not pray. Is it because they do not believe God listens? Do they think their prayers will not be answered? Too many times people believe their prayers aren't answered when they are but just not in the way desired. God answers all prayers in the manner that is best for us. Sometimes that is 'no' or 'wait awhile' but He always answers. Sometimes we get discouraged when we don't feel like He hears us but we must never give up. The old-timers called it 'praying through' when you didn't stop praying until you were at peace with God. Unfortunately people do not 'have' the time for such praying in today's busy society. That is so sad. To think people put other things before God breaks my heart. I live in the belief that when one has a Matthew 6:6 prayer life they will live a Matthew 7:7 type of life. As one lives a life of prayer, they will hear the Lord's voice and walk in obedience. They will draw deeper in their faith in such a life. Life will not be peachy keen but as trials come they will have His peace. A life of prayer is a life of blessing. That does not mean all of their prayers will be answered 'yes' but it means all of their prayers will be answered and they will accept the answer with the right spirit.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for this song that reminds me of the importance of a strong prayer life. Thank You for not only hearing my prayers but for answering them. Father, cleanse me today so You can fill me up to overflowing with more of You. May You be my words, actions, and attitude so people will know You are flowing through me. I pray for Dan Bohi's ministry team who are meeting today. May they be blessed by Your presence and be open to the direction You have for them. Father, I pray for Paula and John who have been released from the hospital; Nada as she continues radiation; a couple talking of divorce; a young mother with multiple brain tumors; a family that needs reconciled; a pastor that has returned from being off; and a church that has been declared to be in crisis. I praise You for those who gave for the church van tires; for Little Richie's numbers being good; for Little JJ's continued healing from his burns; and for Doc being back to work. Lord, may You continue to be with each of these ones. Thank You Jesus for being The One I Pray To. Amen.

Psalm 86 - "Fearless"

Oh my...God is so overwhelming at times. I don't even know how to explain how I am feeling this morning. First, at 3AM, again at 5AM and then when I got up at 6:15AM He had "Fearless" going through my mind. At the 5AM wakeup time He told me to read Psalm 86. I asked if I needed to get up then to read it or if I could sleep a bit longer and He let me go back to sleep. When I finally got up and read it, I felt so loved. The words going through my mind to the song are:

I wanna be fearless
No holding back
No backing down
Fearless
Because I believe You're with me now
Bring on the unknown
Lead me and I'll go
Come set me free
God, I want to be
Fearless (I want to be)
Fearless (I want to be)

Wow! As I read the Psalm this song goes with it so well. Nothing should surprise me from God but sometimes He still does! This Psalm is about how mighty His love is for us. His love is greater than anything the enemy puts before us. It is greater than anything that comes our way. His love is so powerful that it enables us to get through the mountains and valleys of life with His peace. His love, mercy, grace, and truth is what we can stand upon to have victory over sin. David was a blatant sinner at different times yet God never left him. We need to remember He will never leave us. We also need to remember it only takes one word from God for things to change. When we feel like the mountain in front of us is too big to climb, all we have to do is rely on His strength to accomplish it. Or perhaps the mountain will be moved if we pray, ask, and believe it can be. No matter what, we need to have a constant belief trusting Him through all of life. Our faith needs to go deeper as situations call upon us. Our reliance upon God must be great if we expect for Him to use us as His servant. I love these words in this song...

In Your name
In Your strength
I'm more than a conqueror

Yes! "I'm more than a conqueror" holds great meaning to me. I've conquered some pretty tough things in life but none were done on my own strength. God was with me and continues to be. He enabled me to be a survivor of childhood incest, MS, breast cancer...those are some pretty big things yet He empowered me to fight through them and come out on His side. "Fearless." That word has deep meaning. The dictionary says it means to be bold and brave. There is no way to have those two qualities effectively without God being the Lord of Lords and King of Kings of your life. There are people in this world with those qualities but they are just that, worldly qualities. To have true, genuine boldness and to be truly brave one must have God as the One in charge of every aspect of their life. The first four verses of Psalm 86 show how to have joy in the Lord...

1 Hear me, Lord, and answer me,
    for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
    save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord,
    for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
    for I put my trust in you. (NIV)

It takes having communication with Him. That does not mean praying just at meal and bedtime. It means talking with Him all day long. I was saddened when teaching the children the other night about Daniel and the lions den. When I asked how many times they pray a day, some do not even pray at mealtime. What kind of an example are we giving to our children if we don't even take the time to thank Him for our food before we eat? What about bedtime prayer? I miss the days of the boys being home for bedtime. Everyone shared how their day went and a prayer request. In the midst of busyness of life, this was a time we all came together. I miss that so much but am grateful in seeing how my boys are raising their children to love and respect God. Our little Miss Evelyn knows the depth of prayer. She and her cousin started going around the church on Sunday asking people how they could pray for them. She was only nine when she started her own prayer ministry. I can be assured she will be blessed as verse four says, "Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you." That is a blessing to this Grandma. 

Another part of this song that speaks volumes to me is...

But I wasn't given the spirit of fear
I was given the power of love
Everything I've been fighting against
I'm gonna lift it up

This reminds me of two things. One is the verse God gave me for Doc and I on our last anniversary to hold onto for the coming year. II Timothy 1:7, "God did not give us a spirit that makes us afraid. He gave us a spirit of power, love, and self-control" (my paraphrase). The second reminder is that I need to pray for all the 'junk' that comes my way. I am not in this fight alone. His strength is my strength. He will empower me to be who He desires me to be. He will empower me to go where He wants me to go. He will empower me to stand up against the enemies of life. Plain and simple. He will empower me and when He does I will be filled with His joy.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You seems so inadequate on how I feel this morning about You. I praise Your holy name for the way You use Scripture and songs to bless me. Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me. May You be my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day. May You be my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength in a different, new way today. Father, I pray the same for many who are going through issues in life. Disease, illness, family conflict, the list goes on and on as to what people are dealing with. I pray they will realize Your empowerment that is available for them to stand in Your strength. I pray Your joy over them. Most of all I pray they are in relationship with You so they can realize Your joy. Thank You Jesus for being being The One to Empower Me. Amen.

Psalm 84 - "Dwelling Places"

The Lord woke me every hour or so last night to pray. Every time He did He had me pray for Paula and Jack for rest. They have been through so much over the last few months. He had me pray for them to not only rest physically but also mentally and emotionally. Throughout the times of being woke up He added others to my prayers...

• Nancy who receives more test results today
• Nada who continues with radiation
• John who continues with chemo
• Carletta with multiple health issues
• Brian who was discharged from the hospital
• Doc with multiple issues
• Ben as his foot continues to heal
• Little Richie who goes for chemo today
• Little JJ who continues to heal from burns

I asked the Lord this morning what He wanted me to read in His Word. He took me to Psalm 84. This is a Psalm of encouragement to me. David pours out adoration for God throughout this Psalm. The dwelling place of the Lord is the best place to live. While on this earth we can live there when we live in His presence. The only way to do that is to be sold out to God. We must accept Him in our heart but then go another step to dying to self. The desires of our heart must be aligned with the desires of His heart. His will must be what we walk in. We must not only hear His voice but walk in obedience to it. David shares in this Psalm about how even a bird realizes where her home is. Living a life for Him is where our home is. As this is realized in one's life, they will be able to praise Him through everything that happens in life (vs 4). They also will also be empowered by His strength (vs 5). One who lives in the Lord's presence will realize favor from Him (vs 8). This does not mean life will be a bed of roses. It means they will feel His presence and guidance no matter what comes their way (vs 9). Matthew Henry writes of verses ten and eleven:

"We are here in darkness, but if God be our God, he will be to us a Sun, to enlighten and enliven us, to guide and direct us. We are here in danger, but he will be to us a Shield, to secure us from the fiery darts that fly thick about us. Through he has not promised to give riches and dignities, he has promised to give grace and glory to all that seek them in his appointed way. And what is grace, but heaven begun below, in the knowledge, love, and service of God? What is glory, but the completion of this happiness, in being made like to him, and in fully enjoying him for ever?"

God's love, mercy, and grace are what get me through each and every day. It is what strengthens me when I feel like I can't go on. He is what enables me to be the person I am. Without Him, I would be lost. I would no have peace in the midst of the storms of life. I would be angry and very unhappy. With Him, I am content and have joy no matter what is happening in life. As I look back over those He had me pray for during the night I am blessed in knowing they know the Lord. There are many people I know that I can't say that for. That saddens me. Once again, I am reminded of why I am on this earth. It is to share His love with others. People who know Him need to be reminded of His love. Those who do not know Him need to be told about His love. He did not put me here just because He thought it would be a good idea. He put me here to be His faithful and obedient servant. He put me here to trust Him with my whole being so He can use me to further His Kingdom. Oh my, I have much to do for Him. Most of all I need to stay in His presence so I do not miss any opportunities He puts before me.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the beautiful words of Psalm 84. Thank You for the reminders of Your love, mercy and grace. Thank You for the opportunities You gave me to pray during the night. I pray for an abundance of Your strength throughout this day with little sleep. Lord, most of all I pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me up to where You are oozing out of me. I pray for people to see/hear You instead of me. I also pray for many who do not know You to find You. I pray for those in relationship with You yet still need to die to self to have the realization salvation is not the stopping point with You. Thank You Jesus for being My Dwelling Place. Amen.

Isaiah 6:6-8 - "God of All My Days"

I woke up this morning to a song Casting Crowns sings called "God of All My Days"...

'cause You are the God of all my days
Each step I take, You make a way
I will give You all my praise
My sins exchanged, You stayed the same
You are the God of all my days

This song brings tears to my eyes. God is with me every single second of the day. If He did not love me so greatly, I would not be where I am today. He is the reason I have breath. He is the One to direct my steps. He is my Hero. He gave the life of His son to take care of the sins of all people. What a wonderful way to show His love to us. I can't imagine not showing love back to Him by living in His will and presence. That is what He desires of me. He does not want me to live in this world but instead He desires me to live in His presence. He is my Strength when the enemy comes knocking. He is my Protector from the junk of this world. He is my Encourager when life gets tough. He is my Healer when my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual lives need healed. He is my Everything. How do people get through life without Him? I can't imagine life without Him. I think of the story of Isaiah's commission I read again this morning. If I can't imagine not having Him in my life, why do I not share Him with others more so they can experience the same? Just as He commissioned Isaiah, He has commissioned me. I need to get better at fulfilling that commission. It seems of late that life has become too hectic. I know I've missed some opportunities He put before me. Oh Lord, forgive me. I do not want to be so busy that I miss what He has for me. I also need to continue to pray for those who are not in relationship with Him to find Him and those who know Him to go deeper so they get to the end of themselves.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for being who You are in my life. Father, I am so sorry for the opportunities I have missed over the last few weeks. I love You so much and do not want to disappoint You. Cleanse me so You can fill me. May You be my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day in a new, different way. May people see You instead of me today. Father, I pray for Paula who is preparing to go into surgery; Brian who is in the hospital; John who continues with chemo treatments; Nada as she goes to her radiation today; and strength for Doc as he goes to work today. May You be greater than their physical issues. Thank You Jesus for being The God of All My Days. Amen.

Daniel 6 - "Fear Is a Liar"

"Fear is a liar..." This song was the one I awoke to this morning. I started thinking about Daniel in the lion's den. I want to be like Daniel. Even after he found out what would happen to anyone who prayed to God, he did not stop. Daniel 6:10 reads, "Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." Daniel did not fear the men who were trying to destroy him. He could have hid to pray or not prayed at all but because of his great faith in God he continued living a life for Him. I don't believe Daniel had fear when he was thrown into the lion's den because of his great faith. In my mind I picture Daniel treating the lions like pets. They say a dog will know when a person is afraid of them and act upon that fear. I wonder if the same can be said for lions. Daniel's faith saved his life. The lions in Daniel's story represent the different people and things the enemy tries to destroy us with today. We must have great faith to stand up against the enemy. If we don't, we will be 'ate alive' so to speak. He will destroy us, our family, our relationships, etc. The enemy does not like when we stand in our faith. His desire is to have us be in his camp. God's desire is to empower us through our faith to stand up against anything that comes our way. The last part of chapter six of Daniel has a proclamation from King Darius....

These verses remind us that people are watching us. They see how we live out our faith. The more they see us not giving into the enemy, the more they will ask how we can do so. That is an open door to sharing our faith. It also will be another way the enemy will try to stop us. He will try to put fear in us that we can't talk to people or they won't listen when we do. We must stand firm in our faith, trusting the Holy Spirit has gone before us, and knowing God will be with us in the process.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder this morning of Daniel's great faith. Thank You for loving me so greatly that You go before me and are with me. Thank You for cleansing me today so You can use me as Your servant. Thank You for the opportunity to serve yesterday. Father, I pray today will be a good first day back to work for Doc. I know he was dreading it but as I prayed with him this morning I pray You will be not only his physical strength but also his mental, emotional, and most of all spiritual strength. I pray for wisdom on what needs to happen so he does not have to work a second job. Father, if that is your will then I pray for him to accept it. I also pray for Rhonda today with Lilly's health issues, Paula as she knows tomorrow is the long awaited surgery day, Nancy as she awaits test results, the young mother with a mass on her brain, Nada as she continues with radiation, John as he is back in for more chemo, many friends who are traveling, and myself as I await a call from the doctor. Lord, most of all I pray for Your peace to come down upon a couple families who are in the midst of situations not of You. Thank You Jesus for being My Faith Builder. Amen.

Isaiah 6 - "Walking On Water"

Yesterday was an emotional day with being here and not in Ohio with for my family picnic. As the tears fell yesterday morning I prayed for the Lord to be with me like He was the first Christmas we were here and not with family. He is always so faithful. He gave me time with two friends who reminded me of just how precious life is. He also blessed me with reading a note from another friend about how hard it is to be a military wife and away from family. I always knew I was not alone in being away from family but this reminder gave me a better perspective. When I was awaken during the night, I prayed for pastors and their families. I know there are many who are also away from families and I prayed for them. I prayed for spouses of pastors who sacrifice so much in life. I prayed for children of pastors who get uprooted from what they know as life to be moved to a new place. Sometimes those moves are so hard on the children, especially if they are in their teens. I prayed for pastors without spouses. Some have never had a spouse yet others have lost their spouse. I prayed for the Lord to be extra close to them as they do not have a spouse there to support them through the joys and trials of ministry. I prayed for pastors to follow God's will. This takes a life of not only hearing His voice but walking in obedience to it. The first thing that came to my mind this morning was Isaiah 6:8. My sermon for school is on Isaiah 6:1-8. I thought maybe I was thinking about this verse because of that and then it hit me that God knew I needed to read it again. This chapter is about a vision God gives Isaiah. The end result is Isaiah becomes sanctified. If he would not have realized his sinful heart, he never would have been commissioned to go and serve. It was only when he became 'undone' before the Lord that he could hear His voice. He was blessed through the process. I am blessed as I live a life ready to do whatever He calls me to do. Saying 'yes' to South Carolina did not make sense in many ways. There are still family members who disagree with our move. But knowing we are living in God's will makes what others think a mute point. Yes, there are days like yesterday where my heart breaks but the Lord was with me throughout the day in a way that enabled me to not only just get through the day but to love on others in the process. I could have moped around all day, crying and being upset but there was no need of that. Instead I ministered to others and in turn was ministered to. I pray for pastors and spouses in such situations to be empowered to do the same. I pray for them to be in relationship with the Lord to where they know they are walking in His will. This prayer is not just for pastors and their spouses but for everyone. I pray for those who do not believe to find Him. I pray for those who believe but have not yet got to the point of sanctification to get to the end of themselves. I pray for those who are sanctified to continue going deeper. This world is so ugly. There is so much turmoil and sadness. He is the answer. Last night as I prayed before going to sleep I prayed for Him to return to get us out of this mess. Then He reminded me I was being selfish because there were still many who do not know Him. I asked for forgiveness for my selfishness. I also prayed for boldness in sharing Him so more will come into relationship with Him. He brought to my mind, "Walking On Water"....

There's no turning back
Nothing in the past
My eyes on You again
Can't see nothing at all
But Your outstretched arms
Help me believe it
Though I falter
You got me walking on water

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the privilege to be Your servant. Thank You for bringing pastors and their families to my prayers during the night. Thank You for the reminder of the call You put on our life through Isaiah's commission. Thank You for the reminder from this song that I need to look ahead and not to the past. Thank You for being the one to cleanse me and fill me so I can be the servant You have called me to be. Father, be with all pastors who will be in the pulpit this morning to have the realization of Your great love. Give them boldness, clarity, and empowerment to preach what You desire. I pray for people's ears and hearts to be open to what You desire of them to hear. Knock the enemy down when he tries to get to people. Thank You Jesus for being The One to Commission Me. Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Fear is a Liar"

As I was praying over the prayer emphasis list for this week, the Lord brought to me II TImothy 1:7. I thought about how these children need someone in their life to be Jesus to them. They need to know Jesus' love in a way that will enable them to not give into the fears of the enemy. He also brought the song "Fear Is a Liar" into my mind. The enemy is destroying our children with lies. He is convincing them they are "not good enough...not right...not strong enough...not worthy...not loved...not beautiful...troubled...forever be alone...never find a home...dirty...ashamed..." He is a liar who needs knocked off the pedestal he has taken in their lives. I am praying these words over the children in this world...

Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel

Prayer Focus : 6/22/18

Children

Children are the heartbeat of God. He cares so deeply for children. Let's join heaven and cry out for the children all over this world.

~ foster system

~ adoption agencies

~ abortion clinics to close

~ children in abusive homes 

~ children in poverty 

~ children with physical illness and disease 

~ children in religion who carry a false view of God

~ children to be raised up who know the power and love of God

~ our own children that God has entrusted us with

~ protection over minds and hearts of children

Our children are so vulnerable in the day we are living in. Let's cover all these precious lives this week.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the way You will bless my prayers for children. Thank You for the lives that will be touched through the efforts of many prayers. Father, this morning I pray a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray for You to be greater than me throughout this day. My heart breaks that I cannot be with my family today at the annual picnic. I pray for You to be extra close to me as I go throughout this day. I pray for You to be greater than sadness and love on me extra hard. Father, I also pray for those who are going through tough times with family situations. My friend with an addicted father who needs rehab; another friend whose mother is awaiting surgery for possible cancer; Paula who will have surgery Tuesday; Nancy who is dealing with surgery results; Nada who is having radiation; Lynne's family with the loss of their four-legged baby; a family in turmoil...may the enemy not have any foothold in these situations. Father, once again I pray for the children around this world to have someone who will be You to them. Thank You Jesus for being My Fire. Amen.

Psalm 1 - "Thrive"

Throughout yesterday and during the night last night these words from "Thrive" were going through my mind....

So living water flowing through
God we thirst for more of You
Fill our hearts and flood our souls
With one desire

Just to know You and
To make You known
We lift Your name on High
Shine like the sun make darkness run and hide
We know we were made for so much more
Than ordinary lives
It's time for us to more than just survive
We were made to thrive

I love this song! "Joy unspeakable, Faith Unsinkable, Love Unstoppable, Anything is possible" are words of encouragement to me. They are what happens when one lives in God's presence, doing His will. He made us to shine as a beacon of light wherever He leads us. The desire of His heart is for us to not just survive in this world but to thrive. I looked up the definition of thrive and found:

1: to grow vigorously : flourish

2: to gain in wealth or possessions : prosper

3: to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances  

Woo hoo! I desire to 'flourish' in my walk with Him. I desire to 'prosper' in heavenly treasures. I know as I do these things I will realize my eternal goal of living in heaven with the Lord. It takes a daily walk of obedience to do more than just survive. The enemy comes knocking all the time. He does not give up but neither does the Lord. It can be hard to stand up to the enemy time after time but as we stand in the Lord's strength it is not impossible. "Anything is possible" are words to remember. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the reminder of what You desire of us. Thank You for loving us so greatly that You do not give up on us. Father, I pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray for Your strength to not only get through this day but to enjoy it and be a beacon of light for You in the process. May Your love ooze out of me to all I meet. May Your wisdom be mine throughout this day. Lord, go before me and pave the way for what You desire in me today. Thank You for being My Living Water. Amen.