Revelation 22 - "Known"

It was really cool last night in Bible study when the verse I had yesterday morning was discussed in the teaching. I love when God does things like that. I don't love getting woke up in the morning from having a nightmare. I don't know why I had it but I do know it gave me an urgency to pray for young people who are taken under duress. I pray specifically for those who trust the person who lures them away to harm's way. I pray for those who are tricked into thinking they are not in a bad situation. I also pray for those who have already been taken to find a way to escape. Another prayer is for those who take people under duress to realize what they are doing and stop. This world is full of evil. There are so many things out there that were not part of life when I was a teenager. I can't even begin to think of how the world will be when my grand babies are teenagers. Oh how I pray for Christ's return before then. I pray He will come back for us before we see more evil. That is a hard prayer to pray in some ways because of loved ones who are not believers. It is hard to pray when I think of people in my little world who are living in it instead of living in Jesus. My heart breaks for all who are living in evilness when they could be living a life filled with His peace. So many are living a life full of lies instead of a life headed to eternity with Him. If only they would realize His way of life is the Only Way of life where they will feel the most loved. It is so hard to see people gathering up 'stuff' instead of living a life where He is what they desire. May He become real to people today in a way that will open their eyes. Once again it is hard to think of what will happen to many on Judgment Day yet I pray for His return to come. There is also so much sickness in this world that will no longer be when we get new bodies in heaven. Last night was a bit overwhelming as I prayed for many who are struggling in their physical bodies. I prayed they would lean on God's strength to be their strength during these tough days...

• our ninety-six year old friend who is struggling and his doctors who are trying to figure out what is going on
• my Momma who continues to regain strength from her hospital stay
• my sister Mary who will be having surgery
• Billie who continues to battle breast cancer through chemo treatments
• Ross who has been sick; wisdom for the doctors
• another friend whose father-in-law was recently diagnosed with cancer and is not in relationship with the Lord
• another friend who is facing changing cancer treatments because the tumor is growing
• a pastor's wife who is battling brain cancer
• John whose leukemia has returned
• Mike who is seeking new treatment for his cancer
• Dale who continues to seek healing in his body from cancer
• a ninety-five year old man who was put in Hospice yesterday and his caretakers
• Shirlin who fell on the ice yesterday and will have surgery today
• Paula as she continues to regain her strength from her fall
• Little Richie and Little Natalie for protection over their bodies with so much sickness around and also protection over the 'bad' aspects of chemo
• Deb who continues to be losing blood; doctors to have wisdom as they do testing
• myself as the time draws near for my repeat mammogram

So, so many people going through physical ailments. Why? Why do people have to suffer? Why do children have to deal with such things as chemo? Why is there cancer on this earth? Once again, I pray for the Lord's return so there will no longer be 'C' on this earth. I pray for His return so we no longer have to live in the sin of this world. It's hard to pray that with people still not living with Him but it's getting so hard to live here. Not only do I pray for His return but I pray that until He does return He will give me boldness to share His love with others. I pray for people to be changed in their spirit through me. Oh how I pray for more of His love to ooze out of me, enough to make a difference in people's lives. He knows me and knows the desires of my heart. I pray He will make those desires come to life. I pray more people will come into relationship through my words, actions, and attitude. It is so cool to think...

I'm fully known and loved by You

You won't let go no matter what I do
And it's not one or the other
It's hard truth and ridiculous grace
To be known fully known and loved by You
I'm fully known and loved by You

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the way You love me. Thank You for the way You give me the desires of my heart. Father, my desire is that You would come back for us right this second. But until You do return I pray You will use me to share Your love. Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. Father, my heart breaks for those who are not in relationship with You. I pray You will enable me to be a beacon of light in their lives. Lord, go before me today and enable me to be seen as You. Give me boldness in my witness. Lord, once again I pray for those who are dealing with physical ailments in their bodies. I also pray for those who are caring for them. Give doctors Your supernatural wisdom and give these ones and their families Your peace. Thank You Jesus for being My Bullet Proof Love. Amen.

Matthew 21:22 - "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"

These words were in my mind every time I was awake during the night...

“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!

Yes! His faithfulness is what gets me through every day. The love He shows me through His faithfulness is overwhelming at times. It is so great to know no matter what happens in this world He is faithful. People may fail me but God never does. He knows all. What I have to do is live by faith in allowing Him to have control of my life so His will is what I walk in. The last verse goes...

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, God! Peace is realized in His presence. I often say that does not mean God will take away whatever we are going through. It means He will empower us with the Holy Spirit to walk through tough times in the manner He desires. His strength will be our strength. Yesterday I was praying with an older lady with dementia issues. I prayed for God to give her physical and mental strength. I did not even think about how I was praying, I just was allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through me. After I finished, she made a comment that she sure does need mental strength. She chuckled and I told her I pray the same for myself every day. I blame my cognitive issues due on MS but I also know life can become so crazy busy that we forget things or say the wrong thing. I have come to realize that's OK. But I also have come to realize I need to pray for my whole being when I pray. I need to pray for my physical, mental, emotional, financial, and most of all my spiritual being. I remember dear Lenore praying like this only she also prayed for people 'professionally' who were in the workplace. Oh how I miss that dear lady. I was thinking the other day about her when Doc used her favorite scripture in his sermon. Matthew 21:22 tells us we need to believe and then our prayers will be answered. How can that be? It is only through His faithfulness. Are they answered in the manner we desire? Not unless we are praying for His will. Are they answered in the timing we desire? Not necessarily but they are always answered. Oh how Lenore believed and lived that out. I think about the story of the fig tree in which Jesus told us this way of living. The fig tree was cursed by Jesus when it did not have any fruit for Him to eat. This tells us, as believers, we need to have fruit from our lives. If we do not have fruit showing from our lives, we are not living as He desires. Our soul will wither away without fruit. We will become dead in our spirit if we are not sharing Christ with others. We need to be alive. We need to show others His love and faithfulness. We cannot mope around being crabby butts if we want people to come into relationship with Him. Instead we need to be joyful and loving with His love. It will be then we will realize His love and faithfulness to a greater degree. He will bless us more as we are faithful. His love will show through us more as we depend upon His strength to get through the tough days. He will give "bright hope for tomorrow" as we draw deeper in our faith and trust Him with our whole being.c
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your faithfulness! Thank You for the way You encourage me so greatly! Thank You for the promise of "bright hope for tomorrow" with situations that seem hopeless! Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. Empower me to be who You desire of me throughout this day. I pray You will not allow any opportunity to go by me today that I do not seize. Lord, this morning as I thought about my dear prayer partner Lenore I thought of her family. I pray they have or will get into relationship with You. Her family was such a burden on her heart. Wherever they are, whatever they are doing, I pray they will feel a tug on their heart. I know they knew how she prayed for them. Even though she has already left this earth, may her prayers finally be answered for their souls. Thank You Father for being My Faithfulness. Amen.

II Timothy 1:7 - "Forever On Your Side"

One of the times I was awake during the night I had such an urgency to pray for my church family. I asked God 'who?' and He said 'all' so I started praying individually. As I went from person to person I prayed for things I knew about and then asked God to take care of 'unspoken' needs too. When I had covered everyone, I thought I was finished but then He had me pray for us as a corporate body of believers. A couple weeks ago He impressed upon me that prayer was the only thing that would change our situation. We have to pray corporately if we truly want to see things change with our church building. It is so discouraging to have a building bought two years ago yet still not be in it. We can blame it on a whole bunch of things yet it all boils down to God's timing. He knows what is best. Sometimes as we are in the 'waiting room' in life we do become discouraged. Sometimes we even fear the 'what ifs' that could happen through the situation we are dealing with. As we sit and wait on a loved one to come out of surgery many things go through our minds. Will they make it? Will it be cancer? How will life change after this surgery? As we wait for a prodigal to come back we have many 'what ifs' to ponder upon. Why did they stray? When will they return? What can I do to change this situation? The 'waiting rooms' of life are just that....waiting. That is not something that is easily done. We want things to be done now not later. We want to see forward progress instead of seeing us take three steps forward and two steps back. We want to know we are going in the right direction. We want. Wow! We want. What if what we want does not align up with God's will? What if He wants to keep us in the 'waiting room' until we have learned something or gone deeper with Him? What if He is waiting on us to pray for His will instead of what we want? Those are different 'what ifs' but they are viable ones to think about. I learned months ago that we will get into the building in His time. I do not understand why but I do know He has given me two things about the situation. One is that we aren't ready as a church body. In a  recent meeting with the DS he shared how we need to be preparing now for the growth that will occur when we move into the building. This is so important yet so hard to accomplish with the circumstances of meeting in the funeral home. BUT nothing is impossible with God. He will open doors that need opened and closed doors that need closed. The second thing is we must pray corporately. We must be unified in our prayers. Seeking His will and praying. Two simple things to accomplish yet so difficult. Isn't that how life is? Simple yet difficult. Sometimes we allow fear to make things difficult. I love the words to a new song I recently heard...

Oh I don't know what's around the bend
Oh, all I know is that my love, it knows no end
All these pieces they fall in line
Because I'm forever on your side
Take my hand when you can't see the light
Cause I'm forever on your side
I will carry you every time
Because I'm forever on your side
Oh I'm forever on your side

Yes! God will always be with us. He does know "what's around the bend" because He knows all. His love "knows no end" and He will "carry" us through everything that happens in life. We do not have to fear. His Word tells us that He gave us a spirit of power, love, and self-control instead of fear (II Timothy 1:7). Paul speaks of these things to Timothy to encourage him. The Holy Spirit is not fearful and when we allow Him to live in and through us we will not be either. Matthew Henry writes, "The Holy Spirit is not the author of a timid or cowardly disposition, or of slavish fears. We are likely to bear afflictions well, when we have strength and power from God to enable us to bear them." The empowerment of the Holy Spirit is what it takes to rest in the 'waiting rooms' of life. That empowerment is the only way to be able to not only hear the voice of God but walk in obedience to it. I desire to live in His empowerment every day.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the reminders during the night of the importance of living in Your Spirit during the 'waiting rooms' of life. Thank You for the privilege to pray for my church family. Thank You for empowering those who so desire to walk in Your will. Father, I pray for a cleansing in me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray for Your words, actions, and attitude to be mine today. Lord, be greater than me. Empower me to walk in Your will. Lord, direct us as a church body. Empower us. Love on us in such a way that people will not doubt You. I pray for You to be more of a desire in our hearts. Thank You Jesus for being My Desire. Amen.

I Peter 1:3-9 - "Chain Breaker"

The Lord woke me up with these words to "Chain Breaker" going through my mind...

If you've got pain
He's a pain taker
If you feel lost
He's a way maker
If you need freedom or saving
He's a prison-shaking Savior
If you've got chains
He's a chain breaker

God wants to break the chains that hold us in bondage. He wants to take our past and give us a future. He desires for us to not live in the misery of the enemy lies but instead live in the freedom of His truth. My heart breaks to see people held in bondage to sin. It hurts to see them allowing their past set their future. So many times people believe their past was so bad there is no hope for them. That is a lie from the devil. No one has ever done something so bad they cannot have a future with the Lord. The enemy tricks people into believing a life with him is fun, comfortable, etc. But the only life that will lead to eternity with the Lord is one of surrender to His will. Those who do not live in relationship with God find His peace through surrendering to Him. Those who are in relationship yet have become lukewarm find His peace through surrendering to Him. The chains the enemy binds us in do not have to be lived in. God does not bind us in such chains. A life with Him gives peace that makes no understanding to the world. One chain that I am grateful God broke for me was that of fighting the enemy for the truth that I am good enough. God made me who I am. He loves me enough to continue to mold me into the person He desires me to be. He cares enough to pick me up when I fall instead of allowing me to stay down in the 'dirt' where I can become discouraged. Discouragement is an open door for the enemy. When he sees me discouraged, he knows I am vulnerable and preys upon that. What a blessing to know God gives "a better life" than the enemy ever could dream of. This morning I am praying for believers who are discouraged to realize God is their strength. I also am praying for those who need the chain of sin that has them bound up to receive His peace. My prayers are with those who are discouraged to realize God may not take away their circumstances but He will be their strength through them. So many times we pray and ask Him to take something away when in fact whatever that something is will be what will be needed to draw us deeper in our relationship with Him. God knows best. My words of prayer have changed so much over the last couple of years. I don't know what is best but God does and His will is what I pray for. I don't need to worry about how to pray because as I listen to Him, He gives me the direction to pray. He is My Future. He knows my past yet He still loves me. When I asked for forgiveness of the sins of my past, He wiped them clean. When I ask for cleansing in my spirit so He can fill me daily, that is exactly what He does. My eyes are set on Heaven. It is my future but until He calls me home I must live in His presence on this earth. He gives me hope for every day I spend on this earth. That hope is what gets me through tough days. Oh how I wish more people lived in such a state of being. We do not have to allow the enemy to bind up in chains but instead we need to allow the Lord to give us His freedom. When God allows tough times, we need to embrace them and dig deeper in our faith instead of allowing the enemy to tear our lives apart. We need to stand firm in our faith and allow God to work in and through the tough times to strengthen our spiritual bodies. We must break the chains of sin but we also must break the chains the enemy tries to put on us through the ups and downs of life. We cannot give him any little way to get in. If we do, he will play havoc in our lives.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the way You break the chains of sin, discouragement which lead to giving the enemy an open door, doubt which shake our faith, etc. Thank You for using tough times to draw us deeper in relationship with You. Thank You for being exactly what we need as we  go throughout our days. Thank You for wiping our slates clean from our past so You can use us for Your glory. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. Go before me today and keep my eyes open to opportunities You put before me. May people see/hear You instead of me. May You shine through my words, attitude, and actions. Father, I pray for those who are bound up in the chains of sin to fall on their knees before You today. I also pray for those who are in relationship with You yet not fully surrendered to find themselves seeking holiness today. Lord, be greater than the enemy in such a way today that people will realize Your freedom. Thank You Jesus for being My Freedom. Amen.

Hebrews 6:19 - "My Life Is In You Lord"

I was so tired before going to sleep last night so I prayed a 'general' prayer for all pastors in case the Lord didn't wake me during the night to pray. I didn't have anything to worry about because He woke me to pray. He had me pray for pastors who...

...were sick and unable to preach today and for those who would fill the pulpit.
...were sick yet would preach anyway.
...had a burden on their heart for a family member who was struggling physically.
...had a burden for their prodigal child.
...were dealing with conflict in their church.
...recently had a fire in their church.
...had a death in their church this week.
...didn't know if they would receive a paycheck today.
...were so tired they didn't know if they could make it through the day ahead.
...were dealing with a terminal illness in their own body.
...needed someone to pastor them.
...were retired and feeling lost.
...had a spouse who felt abandoned or neglected due to ministry constraints.
...were called out during the night for an emergency.
...will have to make a decision about whether to meet today due to weather.

Many do not know the extent of the stress pastors are under because they do not know all that happens in the life of a church throughout the week. I prayed for people in congregations to be more loving to pastors who were struggling with their present circumstances. I also prayed pastors would remember they are not alone but rather have the Lord's strength to not only get through this day but to be joyful throughout it. Sometimes life can be so overwhelming but all we have to remember is He never leaves us. His strength is always available for us.  His love is always working in and through us as we allow it to. His joy is ready to burst out of us. I am so thankful for this knowledge.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the privilege to pray for pastors during the night. Thank You for bringing so many to my mind. Thank You for having me pray for them to realize Your strength in their circumstances so they can be filled with Your joy. Father, I pray for my pastor who is still dealing with a cold. I pray Your strength will fill him to overflowing so he can have joy in his spirit. I pray You will give him exactly what he needs physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and most of all spiritually throughout this day. Bless Doc in a mighty way as he strives to serve You in the way You desire. I also pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray I will be a better wife. May people see/hear You through me in a new, different way today. Bless my efforts to be Your hands and feet throughout this day. Thank You Jesus for being Our Anchor. Amen.

Psalm 23 - "Surrounded"

Anytime I have to get up early for an appointment I struggle to sleep. Last night was no different. I fell asleep easily but Mordecei woke me at 11:45 to go outside. When I laid back down I watched the clock. I prayed for others and then for myself to be able to go back to sleep. The last time I looked at the clock it was 2:45. Urgh! Then I woke back up at 4:35 and decided since I had less than an hour to sleep I might as well get up. A song Bethel sings was going through my mind this morning.

This is how I fight my battles...this is how I fight my battles...

I thought about how I battled with not being able to sleep last night. Was the enemy trying to cause me problems? When I asked God who I needed to pray for He told me one person, Billie who just had a chemo treatment yesterday. Was I suppose to pray for her all night? I'm not sure but I prayed many prayers for her to be able to sleep with no side effects. I prayed for her to continue to rely on God's strength to see her through this road she is traveling. I also prayed for people to continue to support her and her family through all the tough days. As I thought of this song, I thought about how the evil one plays havoc in so many ways in people's lives. But I refuse to give him all the glory because my God is greater than him. Even when he causes problems in lives, my God is still able to perform a miracle to instantly stop the problems or to fix the problems. My God is still in the miracle making business. Sometimes His miracles come through trials and over a period of time. Sometimes they come through us getting to the end of ourself so He can work in and through us. But I believe He never leaves us in the process. As I ponder upon Psalm 23 this morning, I feel so blessed.

He is my Shepherd...He will never leave me (vs 1)
He gives peace and rest (vs 2)
He guides me (vs 3)
He takes away my fear in the valleys of life (vs 4)
He loves me more than the enemy could ever hurt me (vs 5)
He awaits for me in my heavenly home (vs 6)

This Psalm encourages me. It gives me great strength to carry on when times are tough. I can feel God's love through every word of it. Yesterday I was singing another song Josh Baldwin sings that goes...

My fear doesn't stand a chance
When I stand in Your love!

We have nothing to fear when we stand in the love of God. In our flesh, we may fear the 'what ifs' of life but when we stand by faith in knowing God is in control we do not have to allow the enemy any open door through fear. God is the Only One to know the outcome of our situations. When we trust Him, He will give us His Perfect Peace. We cannot allow the enemy to take away His peace from us. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the privilege to pray for Billie throughout the night. Oh how I pray she was able to rest. If she was struggling, I pray my prayers lessened what she was going through. Sometimes I wonder why You have me pray as You do but I have realized I do not have to know the reason. I just have to walk in obedience. Over the last few days I have prayed as You directed and later found out the reason why. I am so blessed when that happens. But even if You don't have me know, I will still pray. Father, I pray a special blessing upon Billie and others going through treatment for various diseases. I pray for all to draw closer in relationship with You. This morning Little Richie comes to my mind. I'm not sure why but as I've said many times, I don't have to know the reason. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May people see/hear You in every action, in every word, and in my attitude throughout this day. Thank You Jesus for being My Shepherd. Amen.

James 1:2-4 - "Praise You In This Storm"

The Lord woke me up multiple times during the night to pray for people going through tough times with physical issues. He had me pray for some in the middle of treatment, some awaiting test results, some who are seeking new treatment, and some who it appears treatment is not working. The theme of my prayers was for all of them to depend upon His strength and not on their own. He had me pray for them to not listen to others advice but instead to listen to Him. He also had me pray for them to not give up on praying for a miracle in their situation. Last evening I had two prayer requests for unborn babies the doctors have concerns about health issues. I remember when I was told Ben was going to be born with an open spine and they suggested I abort. Did I? Obviously not! Was he born with an open spine? No because the Lord healed him in the womb. How do I know he was healed? He was born with the scar where he was going to have an open spine! That was thirty-four years ago. My God was in the miracle making business then and continues to be in that business today. Not everyone receives a healing on this earth but we all die and will receive a healing when we are in heaven and no longer have to deal with physical ailments. When we leave this earth as a believer, we will be healed as we walk in a new, glorified body. Woo hoo! The way I ache this morning, I am ready for that new body! I was asked what my favorite Bible verse was yesterday. My first thought was there are so many but the one the Lord brought to my mind was James 1:2-4. The picture above is a picture I took two years ago on February 2. It was just a few weeks after my radiation treatments were finished. We took a bike ride on Spanish Moss Trail where I was able to ride farther than I had rode for a long time. God blessed me that day with His supernatural empowerment in my physical body which gave me supernatural empowerment in my spiritual body. I remember being asked when I was diagnosed with MS almost twenty-five years ago 'why' my God would 'give me' such a hard road to endure when I lived for Him. There are people who question why God gives 'good' people 'bad' things in life. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, some of the same type of questions were asked. I do not believe God 'gives' anyone 'bad' things to deal with. The sin of this world is what causes 'bad' things. Yes, God could stop them but at times He chooses to allow them to happen because He needs us or someone else to have our eyes opened to Him. He has used my MS millions of times for my witness to shine bright. He has also used my MS to take me deeper in my relationship with Him. He has taught me humility through my MS. He has given me boldness in my witness through both my MS and breast cancer. He has also used my breast cancer for my witness to be greater than it could have been without it. In the New Living Testament the words 'opportunity' and 'joy' are used simultaneously. I love those two words! God has given me the 'opportunity' to battle two major diseases in my life and I have chosen 'joy' to live through them. Is it easy? Not when I battle them in my flesh but it sure is when I battle them in His strength. In my flesh, there is worry about my upcoming mammogram. In my spirit, I know He is in control. If it is clean I will praise Him. If there is more cancer, I will praise Him. No matter what, He is My General who will enable me to fight the battle before me. He is available for everyone. Oh how I pray more people will not only come into relationship with Him but depend upon His strength to get through the opportunities presented in life.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your strength that enabled me to not only get through yesterday but that allowed me to enjoy it. Thank You for my husband who prays for me. Thank You for the day that is ahead. I pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray for Your attitude, actions, and words to be mine throughout this day. I pray You will be greater than the opportunities that come my way. I pray for a joyful spirit throughout this day even through the aches I am feeling. Father, would You be with the ones I prayed for during the night in a special way today? Would You empower them to see You through the 'opportunities' they are dealing with in their physical bodies? Would You put people before them that will allow them to be blessed today? I don't even know if I can remember who all I prayed for because there were so many. The two unborn babies and their families; Mike; John; Billie; a pastor who continues to minister when her disease makes it so hard at times; Dale; Norma; Peggy; and many more. Thank You Jesus for being My General. Amen.

Psalm 19:14 - "Pleasing"

The Lord woke me up early with "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing unto you" in my mind. I knew David wrote this in one of the Psalms but I could not remember which one. I went to the Word and found it in Psalm 19. It is the beginning part of verse fourteen. I pondered upon these words and asked God what He desired for me to receive from them today. I began thinking about how life would be so different if we all would pray these words of David every morning before we started our day. If we prayed in this manner, how would life be for us? Would we draw closer to the Lord? I believe so. Would people see Him through us? I believe so. Would our language be different and more Christ-like? How about our attitude and actions? I believe they would be. Would people desire to live the life they see us living? Most definitely! So what is stopping us from praying such a prayer? The world. The ways of the world. The things of the world. Other people. Those are all things that make us hold back from praying such a prayer. We are fearful of what people will think or we are scared we will fail. We have nothing to fear when we live in God's presence. He is there to direct our feet and our words. I read a story of a pastor who prayed this scripture right before preaching. It empowered him to preach in the Spirit. But this scripture is not just for pastors. It is for all. We have the privilege to live in God's glory and we need to do so. We need to allow Him to work in and through us. This is the perfect scripture to pray for that type of life to be lived. I am going to make a note card with this prayer on it and place it on my mirror to remind me of the importance of this scripture.

O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing unto you wherever I go: at home, at church, in my neighborhood, with friends and family, whether I am alone or with others, in every situation, all the time. May You be glorified through me. Amen.

Today is a new day in which I will start with this prayer. I am anxious to see how the Lord will use me throughout this day. I know He will be My Guide in all I do. I know He will give me His words, actions, and attitude throughout this day because I have asked for them. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for waking me early with this scripture/prayer! Thank You for the reminder of how You will empower me as I allow You to! Thank You for the day that is ahead. Cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing so You will ooze out of my actions, attitude, and words. Woo hoo! May every aspect of my life be "Pleasing" unto You. Thank You Father for being My Rock and My Redeemer! Amen.

Jude - "Deeper, Deeper"

I was so blessed when I woke up in the middle of the night these words of the hymn "Deeper, Deeper"...

1. Deeper, deeper in the love of Jesus
   Daily let me go;
   Higher, higher in the school of wisdom,
   More of grace to know.
   • Refrain:
     Oh, deeper yet, I pray,
     And higher every day,
     And wiser, blessed Lord,
     In Thy precious, holy Word.

Yes! This is my daily prayer. I desire to go deeper in His love because I know that is where eternity with Him is found. I know His love is where I need to live. His love is the 'secret' to living life as He desires me to. It is where blessings of peace are found in abundance. The more I get into His Word, the deeper He will take me in my relationship with Him. The more I pray for His will, the more I will live in it. It does not mean life will always go my way. I wouldn't want it to. I know it is through trials that my faith goes deeper, my love for Him grows deeper. I also know His will is so much better than anything I could ever desire. His will is perfect. He knows what is ahead for my life. I don't. He knows what is best for me. I don't. His wisdom is so far greater than mine but as I seek Him my wisdom will become more like His. This song is exactly how I feel. I want to go "Deeper, Deeper" in my relationship with Him. The desire of my heart is to live as He desires. That is why I ask Him every morning to cleanse me so He can fill me. I am not perfect, I am just a human being seeking to live a life of holiness. I still make mistakes and need His cleansing power to wipe away those mistakes. I also need His empowerment to fill me up so I can not only hear His voice but also follow the direction He gives. Sometimes the 'mistakes' I make are missing opportunities He puts before me to share Him with others. Sometimes it is by having a bad attitude and/or being crabby. Sometimes it is by speaking before praying. There are so many examples yet all are covered by His love and grace. Woo hoo! It is only through Him that perfect peace can be found. I love these words to this hymn...

1. Deeper, deeper in the faith of Jesus,
   Holy faith and true;
   In His pow’r and soul exulting wisdom
   Let me peace pursue.

Yes! The deeper I go in my faith with Him, the more of His peace I will have. While on our recent cruise I was thinking about how one has to trust Him to be on such an adventure. There has to be a deep trust as you see how deep the water is. Sometimes the chart was showing over 15,000 feet depth of the water. Wow! When it showed less than 100 feet, one could have fear of it going low enough to hit bottom. Trusting in God to take care of such a trip is a must. If trust isn't there, one would panic. Another thing I prayed about was I asked the Lord to keep my family safe with no emergencies happening while we were away. Once again, it took trusting God and having faith in Him. If an emergency would have happened, He would have taken care of every detail. How do I know that? I live by faith knowing He does and will continue to show His love to me by taking care of things in my life. He goes before me and paves the way for me. He is with those I love and will do the same for them when they allow Him to have free reign in their lives. I can't change the way people desire to live but I can pray for them, be an example for them, and love on them with His love. My heart breaks to see/hear of people who I love deeply not living by faith. It breaks to see people living so far in this world that material things and money matter more than God. Last night the children were coloring pages about God being their King. One of the pages asked the question about who their king is. It asked if it was friends, the world, themselves, or God. This is a lesson I know would be beneficial to not only children but also some adults. There are way too many people putting 'stuff' before God. That breaks my heart. The book of Jude is small yet is full of wisdom on how we are to live. Jesus warned the people that in the last days there would be people who turned to the ways of the world more than they would turn to Him (vs. 17-19). He spoke about how there would be people who would even try to split up churches. We see these things happening today. I believe time is drawing near for His return. I pray people will realize they need to change their way of life to include a relationship with Him. The direction Jude gives in verses twenty and twenty-one are what it takes for all believers to live as Jesus desires. We must live by faith and in the Spirit so we will be ready for His return. We cannot nor should we push Jesus on people but we must continually show them The Way. We must not accept the sin but we must love the sinner (vs 22-23) enough to not only pray for them but pray with them when they will accept it. The result of such living will be blessed with living in His presence now and for eternity (vs 24-25).

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for this hymn! Thank You for Your love that is far better than anything of this world! Thank You for Your grace that cleanses me of mistakes I make! Thank You for Your love that empowers me to strive to not make mistakes! Thank You for all the ways You strengthen my faith! Father, cleanse me so You can fill me. Empower me to do whatever You desire in this day that is ahead. Equip me with more of You so people will see/hear Your words, Your actions, and Your attitude through me today. Thank You Jesus for being My Depth! Amen.

Psalm 100 - "Ever Be"

The Lord woke me with an urgency to read the one hundredth Psalm. I read it in different versions and liked both the way it read in The Message and NIV. Praises "will ever be on my lips" for our Heavenly Father when we live a life in His Presence. I was reading a book yesterday that shared how it is possible for God to be present in our everyday tasks just as much as He is present when we are in a church service. This is a hard thing for many to grasp. If you were raised with the thought that God could see and hear everything, why would you not believe you can live in His presence? As we live in His presence, we will have the desire to praise Him even during tough times. I can't imagine how wonderful it will be to praise Him face-to-face. Psalm 100 is a prophecy of when people will become believers. That is a time where people desire to praise God the most. I praise Him for His grace and love that pulled me back into His arms when I drifted away. I would not be where I am today had He not done so. I praise Him for the way He forgives us when we do wrong. I praise Him for His cleansing power that washes me so He can fill me to overflowing with more of Him. I praise Him for the way He gives peace in situations that it does not seem possible. I praise Him for providing in so many ways. I praise Him for answering my prayers. I could go on all day long with praises and I pray I will continue to speak praises throughout this day. People who live in this dark world need to hear our praises. Sometimes they get upset and feel like we are bragging about what God is doing in our lives and not in theirs. We need to brag about such things. Why? Because they need to see if they would surrender their life to God, it would be different. He would not take away the tough times because they are where are faith is stretched the farthest. But He will give peace in the midst of the storm. This morning I am using Psalm 100 as a prayer. I am praying for all to "shout for joy...worship the Lord with gladness...Know that the Lord is God...Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praises...give thanks to him and praise his name...his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations" (NIV). That last part is the icing on the cake! "his faithfulness continues through all generations" means my grand babies will know of His faithfulness. Woo hoo! That is another thing to praise Him for! I praise Him for the day that is ahead even though I have started with a cold. I praise Him for the way He will give us safety on our trip. I praise Him for the way He will be with my four-legged buddy while we are separated. I praise Him for friends who are going to love on him. I praise Him for a time of rest and relaxation that is ahead. I praise Him for the way he will give Doc wisdom and favor with a situation before him. I praise Him for the healing He is doing in my Momma and sister's body. I praise Him for the safe birth of a little guy yesterday. So, so many things to praise Him for. Woo hoo!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for accepting me back into Your arms when I strayed. Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace. Thank You for the way You go before us. Father, I pray for those who do not know You to find You. I pray for those who need to have Your peace to realize it is available. Lord, bless our time of retreat with not only rest in our physical bodies but enrichment in our spiritual bodies. Thank You Jesus for being The One I Praise! Amen.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 - "Hills and Valleys"

Yesterday was a day where God affirmed me in the morning and He put an 'opportunity' before me in the evening to chose to do just as I had wrote about earlier in the day. When I was doing my schoolwork, He prompted me to encourage my classmates with Jeremiah 29:11-12. A short time later a friend shared with how she felt like many things in her life were just not going the way she desired. I felt the need to share with her Jeremiah 29:11-12. Within a short time she sent me a message about a memory from when she shared this same scripture seven years ago had popped up on her Facebook. Wow, God! I love when He works in ways such as this. Later in the day, I had to think back on what I wrote yesterday morning about we, as believers, have a choice to wallow in misery when 'opportunities' come that stretch our faith. We can either allow the enemy an open door or we can stand in our faith and allow God to work in and through us as we work through situations. I became so mad and was so frustrated last night when I found something out. I didn't know how I was going to make it through the evening with the children. I prayed and asked a couple others to pray for me. The evening went fine. I was blessed with having Xavria and Chloie help me with the children since Ms Rhonda and Christina were out. I became calmer over the situation and was able to teach the children as planned. Afterwards, I began to get angry again and then the Lord brought back to me the words of Jeremiah 29:11-12 and Psalm 42. Because of Him I slept through the night without worrying. God was not surprised by the circumstances. I asked Him to forgive me for the way I acted when it was made known to me. I should not have become so angry but I was dealing in the flesh. I pray the enemy did not have any open door through my anger. God reminded me to not only trust Him but to allow Him to use this situation to take me deeper in my faith. The key to living in this manner is found by living in His presence. It is found by not giving into the flesh but instead allowing the Holy Spirit to cleanse us so He can fill us. As the scripture says, we must seek Him with our whole heart so we can find His will for our life. Today is a new day. My situation has not changed and I do not know how it will but I know Who does. God's got this. He already knows the outcome. He also knows how we will handle the situation. I praise God for that knowledge. I also praise Him for the way He will direct us throughout these next few months as the situation unfolds.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for yesterday's "Hills and Valleys" that You were with me on. Thank You for the reminders of Scripture that You presented to me. Thank You for forgiveness of my reaction to this situation. Thank You for cleansing me so You can fill me to walk where You so desire. Thank You for loving me so greatly that "I am not alone." Father, go before me today in all I say and do. May people see/hear You instead of me. May they see You in my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day in a new, different way. Thank You Jesus for being My Director! Amen.

Psalm 42 - "As The Deer"

Believers have a choice to make when times get tough. They can wallow in their misery or they can remember what God has done for them and will do for them in the days ahead. We can think about how He has given us strength or we can give into the weakness of flesh. Sometimes life becomes so overwhelming that we feel like we can't go on. Sometimes the circumstances we go through pull us so far down we start to believe there is no way life will ever be anything different. Those are lies from the devil. He wants to pull us away from God. He desires to make us believe God has left us. Psalm 42 is about how David began to feel like God had left him. He knew what life was like to have God but he also knew what it felt like when he pulled away from God. He lost his focus and he knew it. He also knew the way to get his focus back was to praise God (vs 5). He knew he had to think of the ways God had been with him in the past in order to get right again (vs 6). God takes our faith deeper through times such as what David was going through. "Deep calls to deep..." are some words that have great meaning to me. God called me to go deeper in my faith in 2015 when I went through nine months of not walking on my own. He called me to live in His presence in a whole new way. He gave me the desire of my heart to be "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God" (vs 1). He gave me a greater desire to be who He desired of me to be. He made me realize the key to living as He desires is found in verse 11...

Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
    Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
    soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face.
    He’s my God.

Yes! He put a smile back on my face and in my heart. He didn't do this when He healed me but He did this before. It didn't take Him allowing me to walk on my own again to give me back my joy. That happened a few months before when my focus went back on Him. I was given 20/20 vision once again through prayer, study of His word, meditation, etc. That was when the smile came back fully in my life. I do not ever want to lose it again. Instead I desire to go deeper in my faith and grow continually in the life He so desires of me.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the way You love on me so much! Thank You for your mercy and grace that enables me to stay focused on You! Thank You for cleansing me so You can fill me so people will see and hear You instead of me! Thank You for putting a smile back in my heart! Lord, give me opportunities today for people to see You are my Focus. May You go before me and make the way for my faith to be taken deeper. I pray for all believers to get to the point in their relationship with You to have this same desire. Thank You Jesus for being My 20/20! Amen.

Psalm 89:11-18 - "O Lord"

The Lord woke me with a song and a scripture to read this morning. The song was "O, Lord" which touches my heart immensely. There is a part that goes...

Though times it seems
Like I'm coming undone
This walk can often feel lonely
No matter what until this race is won
I will stand my ground where hope can be found
I will stand my ground where hope can be found

Yes! His love gives me hope to continue on when I feel like I can't continue on. Sometimes circumstances in life seem to be overwhelming but then the Lord showers His love down on me and I know I am not alone. His love gives me hope when life seems hopeless. His love encourages me to continue on when I feel like I can't. His love gives me strength when mine is drained. Psalm 89 encourages me to walk in His love. When I do, I will have His joy in my heart. The only way to walk in His love to the fullest is by having a heart surrendered to His will. Yes, there are times when I feel lonely. There are times when I question why I do what I do. But it is those times when He wraps His arms around me a little bit tighter and tells me I am not alone and I need to stand in His love to be empowered to do life as He desires. "I will stand my ground where hope can be found" can only be done in His empowerment. I pray every day for Him to cleanse me so He can fill me. This is the only way to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Dear Jesus,

As I start a week that has some curve balls in it, I need more of You and less of me. I need Your empowerment in a mighty way. I pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me with more. I pray for Your strength as mine feels like it is dwindling. I pray for Your wisdom as I continue in my class and with time management. I pray for Your love to ooze out of me in a way that people will see and hear You and not me. May You be greater through me this week. Father, thank You for the way You provide exactly what we need. Thank You for giving me hope in what appear to be hopeless situations. Thank You Jesus for being My Empowerment! Amen.

Romans 12:1-2 - "From The Inside Out"

Marriage can be very challenging. There are some marriages that do not last the challenges. There are some that may last in the sense of time yet are not really marriages. It can be difficult when one in the marriage is a believer and the other isn't. It also can be difficult when communication lines break down. Many times when there is a death of a child, a marriage crumbles due to one or the other partner placing blame on the other or feeling guilty themselves. Being in ministry can be a joy in a marriage when both people accept what the Lord puts in their lives and support one another. It is very difficult to get through the demands of ministry in a marriage. Time demands can take a toll on a couple in ministry. There is little time for nurturing a marriage when one is pouring themselves into the lives of others. But there has to be time made or there will no longer be a marriage. Sometimes the demands from others on a pastor's time can be so great their spouse and children feel abandon. The same thing they try to work on in other's lives can be what they need worked on in their own lives yet when they do they feel guilty. It is so important for there to be family and couple time in a pastor's life. If there isn't, there will be no family or spouse there. This is what God had me praying about during the night for pastors. As I sat in a roomful of pastors and laity yesterday, I prayed for the marriages of pastors. I prayed for pastors with small children who were there instead of being with their families. I prayed for those who had missed out on their child's event to be at the meeting. I prayed for pastors to have openness to what the Lord was telling them about how to make time for their spouse and family. I prayed for those there who need healing in their marriages to seek God's direction. I prayed for those who need to not feel guilty about time spent with their spouse. During the night as I prayed for pastors I was prompted to pray for those who are so discouraged with the circumstances of their church to realize their attitude is spilling over into their home life. I prayed for them to realize the impact of that before anymore effect happened in their families. I prayed against stress in their homes due to the ministry. It is no wonder so many leave the pastorate. All we need to do is be completely surrendered to His will. When one lives such a life, it does not mean life is a bed of roses but it does mean God's strength is with them. It means His wisdom is their wisdom. It means there will be peace in the midst of the storms. As a pastor lives surrendered to His will, they will realize they must make time for their spouse and family to be surrendered to God. God does not call any of us to be alone but instead calls us to be strengthen by Him to do what He puts before us. If God gives us a spouse, He expects us to love that spouse just as He expects us to love Him. He expects us to respect that spouse just as He expects us to respect Him. This goes for not only pastors but everyone. 

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the opportunity to pray for pastors, their spouses, and their families. Thank You for brining some specific pastors to my mind to pray for. Lord, may all pastors be right with You as they go into the pulpit. May they accept Your will for their lives instead of trying to pastor in their own strength. May marriages be restored as they realize the need to make time for their spouse. May families be restored as they realize the gift given to them through their spouse and children. May hurt feelings be gone as they have open eyes to what their spouse and children need. May spouses and children feel love that has been missing in their relationship. Father, Your love needs accepted in many lives. Your love conquers all. Your love heals all hurts. I pray for Your love to be the soothing balm needed in the personal lives of pastors who are struggling with their marriage and family. Father, I pray for a cleansing in my spirit so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May all who hear me today, hear You. May all who see my actions and attitude, see You. I pray this especially for Doc and my family. Thank You Jesus for being The One to Bless Me! Amen.

Matthew 25:21 - "Well Done"

This morning I woke up thinking about those who have gone on to be with the Lord. I was thinking about how they no longer have to deal with the stresses of life on this earth. There are no longer relationship issues, financial concerns, etc. When they left this earth, they left all the 'junk' we must deal with every day. They also left the joy of sharing Jesus with someone but are now living in His joy 24/7. I am jealous of them. Sometimes life on this earth get tiring. It can be discouraging here, especially when you pour yourself into people and they don't respond. It can be discouraging listening to people lament over their life yet they won't allow the Lord to be their Lord and Savior. I heard someone say yesterday, "my life is hard" when in fact they have never seen such a life. Sometimes people just don't see it. They think they know what life is all about when in fact they have no clue. As I was thinking about those who have gone on I thought of Jeremy's life. He was such a godly man who was not afraid to share the Lord. He did so much good while on this earth. It just doesn't make sense why he would be taken so early in life. As I prayed for his family this morning, I thought about the memories they have of him but also the hopes and dreams they had for him with them if he would still be on this earth. Life changed drastically when he was killed. It not only changed drastically for him but for them. His testimony on this earth is one that I pray will continue through his family and friends. I pray all who knew him will get to the point in their own lives where they will hear...

The parable of the talents is about how God blessed people with great amounts of money to care for. In life, God gives us things to care for and sees how we will handle them. He wants to see if we will listen to Him and follow the direction He gives or if we will go our own way. His desire is for us to not do as we think is the way to do something but instead to do it His way even when it does not make sense. I truly believe the only way we will hear the words of being a faithful servant is to be living in His presence, sold-out to His will. I know there are many believers who do not believe this. They believe salvation is enough. I disagree with them. Being sanctified, set apart holy is the way to eternal life. I praise God for every day He leads me down the path of a holy life. I praise Him for being who He is to me. I praise Him for loving me enough to guide my words, actions, and attitude when I allow Him. I praise Him for giving me the desire of His heart as mine. I pray daily to be cleansed so He can fill me with more of Him. Why? Because I want to hear the words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant..."

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace. Thank You for loving me so greatly. Thank You for giving me the desires of Your heart. Thank You for cleansing me so You can fill me. Thank You for being who You are in my life. Lord, I pray for a walk of holiness today. I pray You will be my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day. I pray for a change in my attitude when needed. Go before me and open doors of opportunity for me to be You. I also pray doors will be closed that need closed. I pray when the enemy comes knocking, You will empower me to knock Him down. Lord, be with Jeremy's family as they continue to grieve his loss from this earth. May they have the desire in their heart to live more like Jeremy did so they will hear these words too. Thank You Jesus for being My Master! Amen.