Mark 5; Deuteronomy 6:5-9 - "Jesus, Lover of My Soul"

The Lord woke me early this morning to pray for children in poverty. He had me pray for them to not only have their physical needs met but most importantly to know He loves them. I was reminded of the story Dr. Graves told of the man who took a picture of a little dirty girl sitting outside of a bakery with her face against the window. After he returned to the states and was giving a presentation he was asked what he had done about it. His reply was that he had done nothing because he did not see her as his responsibility. He was crushed when he realized he had missed an opportunity from the Lord. I do not ever want to miss an opportunity from Him. I know the only way for that to happen is to stay living in His presence. He must be my focus. His love must flow freeing from me in order to have His eyes and ears. He must have free reign over my life in order to be in a position where His will is my desire. I do not know of people going hungry in a physical sense in my little world but I do know of plenty who need filled up in the spiritual sense. What can I do about it? How can I be what Jesus needs me to be? In what ways can I fill people's spiritual tanks? I do not know all the answers to these questions but I do know I am ready to be used in whatever manner He so desires. This morning I asked Him to direct me to what He wanted me to read in Scripture. He sent me to Mark 5. I read it in different translations and prayed for Him to reveal what He desired for me to grasp. I prayed for Him to open my mind up to the lesson I was to learned from His words. This chapter has three instances of healing. One was a man who was possessed by demons; another was a woman who was healed by her faith from a long-time illness; and another was a young girl raised from the dead. I have experienced healing in my physical body many times. I also have experienced healing in my emotional body after being abused as a child. The best healing of all came in my spiritual being as the Lord restored my relationship with Him. Matthew Henry writes that when we allow God to heal us spiritually, we will have His peace. I can attest to that. I have His peace throughout the storms of life. I know He is always with me no matter what is happening. Henry also points out how we need to put God first in order to receive a spiritual healing. Another aspect of being healed is that we need to tell others about what Christ has done in our life. Maybe this is what He wanted me to be reminded of this morning. I need to share my story more. In the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy we are told in verses five and six, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts." I live by these commandments every day. The chapter continues about how we are to not only live them out but we are to share them with others. Wow, God! Thank You for the reminders from Your Word this morning. May I do better at not only living out a life sold out to You but also in sharing this way of life in a bolder way!

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your love, mercy and grace. Thank You for reminding me of what You desire from my life. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me. May You be my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day. May I not miss any opportunity You put before me. May Your love flow freely out of me. Father, this morning I pray for children who are without their physical needs being met but most of all those without their spiritual needs being met. May You put someone before them that will show Your love to them in a mighty way. I also pray for our new DS and his family as they go through this time of transition. May You be very real to them in the days ahead. May You go before them and open doors that need opened as they prepare to move to South Carolina. I also pray for Doc as he goes back to work today. May You be not only his physical strength but most importantly his spiritual strength. Lord, once again I pray for wisdom with decisions that need made in our lives. May You be so very real in these circumstances. Go before us and show us the desire of Your heart. Thank You Jesus for being the Lover of My Soul. Amen.

Ephesians 4:11-16 - "Lord, I Need You"

Yesterday was life changing for those who were ordained, received their first district license, retired or had their credentials restored. Today will be life changing for the person who will be elected as the next District Superintendent for the South Carolina District. We have been praying for many months for this person to be the one God desires to be in this position. I have prayed for not only them and their family but also their church family as they go through the transition. I have prayed for this process to not be a popularity vote but a vote based upon the spiritual integrity of the person. It takes a God-fearing individual to be the pastor of pastors. It also takes a person who is supported well by their spouse. My prayers will not only continue throughout this day until the final vote is complete but will also continue in the days ahead for the person. I love praying for pastors and their families. 

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the opportunities You put before me yesterday to be You. Thank You for loving on me so greatly. Lord, may You cleanse me today so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May You be my words, actions, and attitude throughout this day. Father, today is a big day for the South Carolina District. I pray for wisdom for the people as they vote. I pray for the person who becomes the next DS. I also thank You for Greg who has served us as interim DS in such a great way. May You continue to bless him, his family, and his ministry. May You be so very real to all today in this Assembly. Thank You Jesus for being the One to Call Me. Amen.

Psalm 111 - "Holy Is The Lord"

I love waking up with a particular Scripture in my heart. Psalm 111 is one that encourages us to praise the Lord for all that He is and all that He does in our life. After being in bumper-to-bumper traffic yesterday going seventy plus miles an hour I praise Him for still being alive. I praise Him for waking up this morning. I praise Him for all the times I was awake last night as I took them as opportunities to pray. I praise Him for family and friends. There is always something to praise Him for. Sometimes it is hard to praise Him when we are going through difficult days but that is when we really need to praise Him. As we go through the storms of life if we don't stay focused on Him, the enemy has an open door. He will make the storm even greater than it already is. David wrote of the Lord's faithfulness in verses seven and eight. His faithfulness does not just happen for a time or two but continues for all of eternity. Verse nine is one that I hold near to my heart. "He provided redemption for His people; He ordained His covenant forever--holy and awesome is His name." Woo hoo! When Jesus died on the cross, it was for everyone's sins. It was not just for one or two people but for all. When we accept Him into our heart, we are accepting eternal life with Him. But we cannot stop at salvation. He desires us to be holy. The road to holiness is a road of great blessing. It is when we die to self and allow Him to have full control of every aspect of life. Verse ten of this Psalm is the 'icing on the cake' for me...

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Yes! That is the desire of my heart...to have 'eternal praise' for and with my Heavenly Father. The more I praise Him on this earth, the more I will praise Him in heaven. Woo hoo! I praise Him for the day that is ahead. It's Monday. That means I'm usually more tired than usual. I've had little sleep which will add to the fatigue. But I am praising God for the physical and mental strength He will provide throughout this day. I am praising Him for the way He will put opportunities before me to share His love. I am praising Him for the aches and pains in my body because without them I would not be alive.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace. Thank You for loving me so greatly. Thank You for giving me breath to live. Father, I pray for a cleansing in spirit so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. I pray for the voting of the new DS that will happen within the next couple of days. I continue to pray for the person You desire in this position to be elected. Lord, be with the ordinands today as they await tonight's ordination service. I look forward to the day when I take the walk down the aisle for my ordination. May You continue to prepare my heart. Thank You Jesus for being The One I Praise. Amen.

Deuteronomy 31:8 - "I Am Not Alone"

Last night before going to sleep I prayed for pastors. God had me pray for four individually along with pastors who are feeling alone in life. He had me pray for Greg Mason who has been leading the South Carolina district as interim DS during the time between Dr. Eddie leaving and the election of a new DS. He has worked very hard in this capacity while continuing to lead the NC district. I prayed for continued strength for him as he leads us through this District Assembly time. He also had me pray for the person who will be elected as the new DS. That person will go into the pulpit this morning as a pastor but after this week will be a new DS. I prayed for wisdom for the voting process. I also voted for the church this person will be leaving to accept this new call upon their pastor. A third pastor He had me pray for was Kyle Poole who left his South Carolina church to become the DS in Georgia. He had me pray for the transition Kyle and his family are going through from being a pastor of one church to a pastor of pastors of many churches. A fourth pastor He had me pray for is Brian Howard who was hospitalized this past week. I prayed for a healing in his physical body. I also prayed for his church family to show His love to Brian and his family through these tough days. Finally, He had me pray for pastors who are lonely in life. Many pastors don't have friends, yet alone a best friend. They take on so many burdens of others yet have no one to talk to themselves. Some have a spouse but they are not always in a relationship where they can share with their spouse. Sometimes a pastor's spouse feels like the ministry has taken over their relationship with their pastor/spouse. Therefore, communication is compromised. Sometimes a spouse of a pastor is jealous of the time spent with others and that jealousy shows through in conversations. It is hard for pastors to have close friends yet pastors are just human beings who need relationships too. God had me pray for those who are lacking in this area. Before going to sleep I told God I was so tired but if He needed me to pray during the night to please wake me. 2:00AM was the time He did so. Once again, I prayed for these same ones. He added to my prayers those going into the pulpit this morning. He said there are some who need to allow the Holy Spirit to be their Guide who normally keep a tight reign on the timing of the service. He said these ones need to realize they do not need to be in control of the service. Specifically, He said there were some with multiple services that would have an outpouring of the Holy Spirit if, and when, they allowed the clock to be forgotten. He also had me pray once again for pastors who are lonely. He had me pray they would allow Him to guide them into healthy relationships. He also had me pray for married pastors to allow Him to be a part of their marriage. "Quit pushing Me away" was the way He had me pray for them. 

This morning as I reflect back on the way He had me pray I am once again humbled to have the opportunity to pray. He continues to amaze me in this area. Even though I am not a lead pastor of a church I am a pastor. I have been around enough pastors to know their struggles. I also know the joy of being a pastor. Last night as He led me to pray over the pregnant Momma whose baby is breach I was amazed at how I felt His warmth as I touched her hard belly and prayed. What an awesome experience! He is always with us, to guide us. He is there in the valleys and there on the mountaintops. We are never alone when we have Him as the Center of our life. He brings to mind the words of a song Kari Jobe sings...

I am not alone
I am not alone
You will go before me
You will never leave me

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the opportunities You put before me yesterday and the ones ahead in this day. Thank You for loving me so greatly. Thank You for giving me the privilege to pray for pastors. Lord, I pray You will bless my prayers in abundance. I also pray You will cleanse me so You can fill me. May You be my words, attitude, and actions throughout this day. May You be the One to be in control of every aspect of my life. Father, be with all pastors today in a different, new way. May they all sense Your strength in them. May their calling be confirmed today. May they walk the path You so desire them to be on. Thank You Jesus for being My Heavenly Father. Amen.

Psalm 121; II Timothy 1:7 - "Fear Is a Liar"

Yesterday I found myself thinking of the song the Lord gave me in the morning. "Praise You In This Storm" became very real as I drove in torrential rain. As I was going over the bridge into Hilton Head I could not see two feet ahead of me. That bridge is very tall and is over the water. The thought went through my head of what would happen if I were in a wreck and went over the side. I also thought that I had to call Doc for him to pray over me. But I realized if I could not call him but had to concentrate on the bumper-to-bumper traffic. I could feel the tears start and I cried out to the Lord to help me. Just at that moment the DJ on HIS Radio came on and said that someone needed to hear Psalm 121 right at that moment. As she read it, I felt God's peace come down over me and I relaxed. She prayed for 'that person' to know God heard their cry. Then "Fear Is a Liar" was played. WOW, God! Nothing should amaze me about Him but in times like this I am so amazed. I went on and did my visit but was still trying to comprehend what He had just done so I didn't share it. On the way home I was stopped in traffic for a multi-car crash. As I waited once again in bumper-to-bumper traffic I was blessed in abundance as I thought about how He showed Himself to me instantly when I cried out to Him. I wonder if I would have asked Him to stop the rain if He would have done that too. LOL. I do know He encouraged me throughout the drive home too. He reminded me to not fear the storm I was driving through when the DJ read II Timothy 1:7. God empowered me to do what I had to do to get home safely. I just had to stay focused on Him. Singing praise and worship songs enabled me to do just that.

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for Your protection over me as I drove in the heavy rain yesterday. Thank You for providing Psalm 121 to be read in answer to my cry to You. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me today with more of You. I do not want to live without You being in charge of my steps and my words. I cannot begin to imagine life without You in the center of it. Lord, I pray the rain stays away so the Outreach can happen this evening. I pray for people to be changed through our efforts. Thank You Jesus for being My Protector. Amen.

Psalm 89 - "Praise You In This Storm"

The Lord took me to Psalm 89 this morning. He stopped me at verse fifteen and had me read the next few verses in different versions. The Message spoke to me the most. The words "passwords of praise" hit me. We have so many passwords in today's society. It seems like every time I turn around I have to put in a password to get into an account. These verses tell us that when we know the "passwords of praise" we will be blessed. The more I praise God, the better life is. Even in the midst of a storm when I praise Him I am more at peace. There is always something to praise Him for. The storm could be worse yet as we praise Him, He lessens the effects of it. When we choose the road of praise instead of lament, He enables us to embrace the storm instead of allowing the storm to tear us to pieces. As we praise Him, people will see our peace and desire the same. They will want to have what we have in life. They will want to be able to stand in the midst of the storm without being rocked out of the boat. As they seek what we have, they will be blessed as we are blessed. When they accept Him into their heart, they will be forever changed. It will then be them sharing His love with all they meet. People will see His peace in them and desire the same. Sometimes though our focus gets messed up and His peace does not show through as powerful as it can. All it takes is getting back on track with Him to fill His peace once again. We must ask Him daily to cleanse us so He can fill us. When we allow Him to be greater than ourselves, we will know His peace in a different, new way. His blessings will mightily come down upon us as we live a life of surrender to Him. This morning I am praying for many who are experiencing 'storms' in their life...

• those going through cancer treatments
• those with health issues
• those with turmoil in their family
• parents with prodigals
• those who are alone and feel like no one cares
• those going through financial issues
• one going through mental issues

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace. Thank You for caring so much for me. Thank You for putting praise on my lips even in the midst of the storms of life. Thank You for being who You are in my live. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me. Be greater than me today in my words, actions, and attitude. May Your peace shine through me in a mighty way. Lord, once again I pray for many who are in the midst of a 'storm' in their life. May they find Your peace. I pray for Sharon and her family as they go through this day as they grieve Bill's last day on this earth. Thank You Jesus for being My Storm Calmer. Amen.

Matthew 10:7-8 - "Healer"

Last night in Bible study I was reminded of Matthew 10 where Jesus sent out the twelve. Verses seven and eight are verses with great meaning to me. In verse seven Jesus told them to proclaim the Gospel wherever they went. In verse eight, He empowers them to "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons." The ending of verse eight reminds them to "freely give" what they have received themselves. We, as believers, have been called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has called us to share His love with all we meet. The more we fulfill these things, the more He will empower us to do more. I have received healing in my body many times. Sometimes the healing has come through doctors and medication but the greatest healing has come through the miraculous empowerment given to His servants on this earth. I will always cherish the time of going to the altar at prayer time with both feet on fire with MS tingling only to have Michelle come, touch my feet and it be gone. No one but God knew what was happening in my feet. It blessed me that He answered my prayers but it also blessed me that she was obedient to His voice. The time where He used two ladies at the Wooster Church in the middle of a pastor and spouse retreat to heal me will also be a special memory. Feeling the Holy Spirit move up my body from my feet was something I will never forget. Another time after nine months of using a walker to get around it was such a blessing to hear Brother Dan's voice calling me over to him and being able to walk with no assistance. That was twenty-nine months ago. I've been walking on my own every since. It is a miracle in itself that during the time of my breast cancer diagnosis the MS did not show it's ugliness. God has not only blessed me through these times but He has empowered me to pass on to others what I have received. 

Healing happens not only in our physical bodies but also in our emotional, mental, financial, and most importantly spiritual bodies. He gives me words for people who need to know His love for them. His love flows out of me to heal others. The emotional healing I received after going through a divorce came from Him through those who shared His love with me. My history enables me to love on others who are going through such things. My history of being healed physically is only part of my story. Ben has received two physical healings in his life. Once in the womb when he was going to be born with an open spine and again as a teenager after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Doc's healing from a ruptured disc the week of his trip to Israel is another part of my story. God will continue to add to my story as I live my life for Him. All it takes is me living out His love in the manner He so desires of me. If I allow the enemy a foothold, my eyes will be blinded to what God wants of me. I must stay cleansed and filled by Him to keep open to His will.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for the study last night that reminded me that I am called by You. Not only am I called by You but I am equipped and empowered by You. Father, cleanse me and fill me so I can be more effective for You. May Your love pour out of me through every word and action today. May You empower me to stay focused on the desires of Your heart. May You be greater than me. Father, I pray for those in my little world who need a physical, emotional, mental or financial healing. Most of all I pray for those who need a spiritual healing. Thank You Jesus for being My Healer. Amen.