"There is power in the name of Jesus...break every chain, break every chain, break every chain..." As I read the beginning of Romans 8 the Lord brought this song to my mind. There are so many hurting people in my little world that continue to refuse to accept God's peace. If only they would realize, the way to His peace in the midst of the storms of life comes through surrender. True surrender happens when one realizes nothing they have belongs to them but rather belongs to the Lord. Surrender allows freedom from the ways of the world that pull us into sin. Surrender allows the Holy Spirit to work in and through us in a supernatural way. I know some people ran from 'supernatural' but I run into it because I want His power to be in me. I have seen His power heal. I have seen Him empower. There is nothing to be afraid of when thinking of His supernatural power. The enemy wants us to fear but I stand on II Timothy 1:7 that promises me that God did not give me a spirit of fear but instead He gives me a spirit of power, love and self-control. Woo hoo! He is so awesome! It is only through His empowerment that we can walk in the Spirit instead of the flesh. He gives us free choice and we must choose His way instead of the way of the world. As we make this choice, we will realize the freedom that comes in it. We don't deserve this freedom but because of Jesus' death on the cross we can realize it. Oh how I pray for more people to get to the end of themselves and to allow the Holy Spirit free reign. I pray for people to realize this world is only temporary but a life with Christ is eternity. One cannot live their life in the flesh and expect to live with the Holy Spirit for eternity. The decision must be made to be sold out to the Lord in every aspect of their life. Dear Jesus, Thank You for the day ahead. Thank You for the rest You have provided. Thank You for the peace in our situation. Lord, today I am praying for those who know You but have not surrendered to You. I am praying they will get to the end of themselves and realize You need to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords of their life. Father if they need direction, I pray they will seek counsel. I pray for some mighty great changes to be seen in people's lives. I pray You will truly be number one for more people. Lord, thank You for breaking the chains of my past and giving me the joy of living for You. Thank You for the hope of the days ahead. Thank You for filling me with more of You as I walk in Your ways. Thank You Jesus for being My Number One. Amen.
This morning the Lord took me back to Romans 8 and had me settle in on verses twenty-six through twenty-seven. As I read these verses I thought of the different ones He woke me up to pray for in the wee hours of the day. There are times in life when we truly do not know how to pray. The words just won't come or if they do, we may not know if we are praying for the right thing. The end of circumstances can be overwhelming and there are times our prayers seem to not be heard. But we can be assured He always hears our prayers. His answer may not be the answer we are looking for but He does answer. This morning I am praying for...
my friend whose mother is going downhill in her physical body. This morning the Lord woke me early to pray for my friend for strength. I received a message later stating a mass had been found. I am grateful the Lord woke me to pray for her before she got this news.
my friend who lost her Daddy yesterday. It is a bittersweet time for her and her family. He has wanted to go be with Jesus since his dear wife went.
my friend who is facing having a kidney removed due to cancer.
my friend who is dealing with breast cancer.
my sister who had surgery yesterday and in pain.
my friend who is dealing with her husband making choices definitely not from the Lord.
my friend who lives many miles from her elderly mother and being torn on what to do for her.
my friend who is physically, mentally and emotionally drained due to the circumstances of life right now.
my friend who needs to hear from the Lord on the direction she needs to take with a relationship.
my friends who continue to pray for their loved one for deliverance from an occult.
There are so many people the Lord has me praying for. I pray each of them would realize the words of Romans 8:26-27. I pray they will realize the Spirit is there for them. When they feel like they cannot pray themselves, He is there to intercede.
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the rest You provided last night for my tired body. Thank You for the love You lavish on me. Thank You for the day ahead. It is definitely not the day I anticipated but I know there is a reason in the delay for our move. I pray You will give us rest as we wait. Father, fill me to overflowing with more of You so people will see and hear You through me. May Your attitude be my attitude. May Your words be my words. May Your love ooze out of me greatly. Thank You Jesus for being My Intercessor. Amen.
Yes! God's love is perfect! Yesterday was a prime example of that. It was such an emotional day yet such a blessed day. Corporate prayer time at 8:30 was special as I knew it was the 'last' time being there at that time praying for my Willard Naz family. After Sunday School as the teens hugged me I cried and it was hard. Some of them I've known since they were little. When I was Sunday School Superintendent many years ago I started teaching the teen class 'temporarily' until I found someone to do it. I never even looked for someone because I feel in love with my teens. Many have gone through the class and I pray the Lord used me to make a difference in their lives. During the 10:45 service they took a picture with all of us. I can't wait to see it! Sharon's song was perfect for the day! I was so glad Doc sprinkled in some humor into his sermon yesterday along with some memories. I thought it was hard after service as people said 'goodbye' but I found myself being strong for many who fell apart so the tears were kept at bay. I was grateful for our friend Melanie coming to share the day with us. She has also been so supportive of our ministry and we appreciate her so much. For our 5PM Corporate Prayer there was one who came for his first time. That blessed me. Oh how I pray they will continue giving people the opportunity for Corporate Prayer. It is key for the church, especially during the time of transition without a pastor. As I prayed over the list of the church body I was blessed in knowing even though we will be miles apart God still hears our prayers for one another. As Doc said in his sermon, we need their prayers as we depart and go into a new mission field. The Lord spoke to me during prayer time and once again I was so blessed by Him. He reminded me of the song "Same Power" where it goes... The same power that rose Jesus from the grave, The same power that commands the dead to wake, Lives in us, lives in us... Yes! We have His power! I wrote this in my prayer journal... "I pray for the people in this body of believers to be empowered by the Lord. I pray they will accept what He gives them and lives it out! I pray for the empowerment of His attributes to come down upon me." He then prompted me to go through the alphabet as I prayed "Lord, empower me with Your..." A - anointing B - boldness C - compassion D - deliverance E - ears to hear and eyes to see F - faithfulness G - godliness H - healing I - intercessory J - joyfulness K - kindness L - love M - ministry N - nobleness O - openness to others P - peacefulness in the midst of storms Q - quietness in Our Father R - restoration in relationships S - sweet aroma so people will be drawn to You through me T - truthfulness U - understanding V - valor W - words X - xcellency Y - yearning for souls to be saved Z - zeal I then wrote, "Empower me Lord to be who You desire me to be!" That is truly the desire of my heart. To be who He wants of me. After prayer time as I started to leave the sanctuary it hit me that it was truly our 'last time' in that place as the leaders. That chapter of our lives is closed and we have started a new chapter. I cried as the flood of memories of so many times we shared with our Willard family came to my mind. I was so grateful the Lord planned a fun time with friends after prayer time. He knew I needed it. I also am grateful for the way He strengthened me throughout the day yesterday. Most of all I am grateful for my godly husband who is my pastor. He blesses me in so many ways but most of all his obedience to the Lord is my biggest blessing of all. Dear Jesus, Thank You for yesterday! Thank You for today! Thank You for tomorrow! You are so awesome! The way You love on me is so great! Father, this day that is ahead is one of uncertainties. I pray today will be the day for answers on finalizing when we will leave. But if it is not to be then empower me with more of You so I do not allow any disappointment to creep into my being. Empower me with Your love to all I come in contact with today. Thank You Jesus for being the One To Love Me So Greatly! Amen.
These words are on my heart this morning and I know the Lord gave this song for encouragement to me as we have our last Sunday with our Willard Naz family.
Anytime the gospel stirs a searching soul And someone says, "Send me, here I go" I know, I know, I know, I know
God is on the move, on the move Hallelujah God is on the move In many mighty ways
Yes! He is moving in some 'mighty ways' or we would not be leaving Willard. He is preparing us for a new place just as He is preparing the Willard congregation for a new pastor and preparing the new pastor for when they come to minister here. The key in preparation is to stay focused on the Lord so His will is known and is the center of all decisions. The old saying of "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" is so true. Every person involved in this change must prepare for focusing on the Lord. His will is perfect and when His will is accomplished then the plan will be complete. His timing is perfect. What may seem like delays in our mind are not in the Lord's mind. He has everything planned out in His way. Sometimes that is not the same as when we think something should happen but when we rest in Him His will be revealed to us. He loves us. Plain and simple. He wants to see us succeed in living out His will. The desire of His heart is for all to be surrendered to Him so His voice will be heard to do His will. Woo hoo! That is the best place to live! Dear Jesus, Thank You for the promises of Your Word! Thank You for the way You encouraged me through this song this morning! Thank You for the time with Paul, Liz and Bella yesterday! Thank You for the tire we found and for the people who put it on! Thank You for Your love that You lavish on me! Father, the day ahead is another one that will be very emotional. One of the 'last' 'lasts' to get through. Lord, give me strength. Thank You for being My Strength! Amen.
This morning the Lord woke me to the song "Sparrows" with these words.... Oh even the sparrow Knows He holds tomorrow I believe I am in a test right now on if I will hang onto the Lord or allow the enemy an open door into my life. Physically, I am drained as I deal with some issues along with all that is happening with getting ready for the move. Emotionally, I am completed wiped out with saying 'goodbyes' and dealing with others struggling with us leaving. Mentally, my brain is on overload as I continue to work on getting everything done administratively for the church, keep the paperwork going for the sale of the house and tie up the loose ends here with utilities and such. I must keep strong spiritually if I am going to get through this time victorious. I must stay focused on the Lord. I must not allow 'stuff' to distract me from seeing opportunities to be Jesus to others. Somethings are still coming natural but at the end of the day when I look back I see where I may have missed opportunities put before me. I don't like that and pray the Lord forgives me. The highs and lows of yesterday were so great. Doc's good eye appointment, time with friends and family as we sat and listened to Adam sing were blessings. The bank not sending a fax, Doc's kidney stone pain, my physical issues and the flat tire were not high up on my list of being blessings but I must remember to stay focused on the Lord through the highs and lows. Dear Jesus, Thank You for the reminder today that You are taking care of us. Right now I am starting to falter as I struggle physically, mentally and emotionally. Lord, please fill my tank up spiritually so I will be strong in You. Please enable me to not miss any opportunity You put before me to be You to others. Today is starting early and I pray for a supernatural abundance from You to overtake my body. I pray for You to ooze out of me even when I am at the point of not functioning at full capacity. Actually, I pray that I do function at full capacity. I know that is possible through You. Lord, I pray for those who are making decisions today. I pray they will seek You instead of going on their emotions. I pray for those who are hurting to draw close to You. I pray for those You are dealing with relationship issues to look to You for answers. I pray for those who have strayed away from Your teaching to fall flat on their face today so they will once again look up to You. Thank you Jesus for being The One To Hold Me. Amen.
The Lord took me back to Romans 8 this morning and as I read verses six through eight He stopped me. This is some good stuff in these verses....
I truly believed the reason He stopped me at these verses is because of the way my flesh crept into the way I handled life yesterday. I know the Lord is in control. I know His time is the perfect time. I know these things in my heart. Unfortunately, in my tiredness I allowed the trials of yesterday to take away my peace of these words and for that I am truly sorry. I wish I could turn the clock back and handle things differently but I can't so what I did do was repent of my actions and once again surrender the timing to the Lord. The move will happen when He sees fit. If there are ten billion more faxes to be sent, I will do it joyfully and without grumbling. He has a reason for all of this and I will rejoice in it. It is ironic that 'His timing' is something that I am dealing with since I talked with one yesterday dealing with it in his own way. As I visited a friend in a rehab/nursing home yesterday the Lord prompted me to anoint him to have open ears, eyes and mouth to be Jesus to someone who needs Him in that place. This is his second visit there over the last few months. Prior to visiting him the first time I prayed for a word for him. The Lord told me to anoint him with the promise that he would be healed but it would be in the Lord's timing. He reminded me of that yesterday and said, "I'm still waiting on His time to heal me but it has been a long time." That reminded me of my nine month time last year where I kept praying for a healing and felt like it would never happen. The Lord promised me He would heal me and in His time that happened. During that nine months I kept wondering if I was missing something or doing something wrong that He wasn't healing me. But it all came down to being His timing. The same will happen for my friend. As I told him yesterday, the Lord has taken him back to that facility for someone who needs Jesus. I pray he will be Him to whoever that is and stay strong in his faith in the promise. The Lord does not take us places to make us fall. He takes us places to be strong and to grow our faith. I love that saying I was reminded of the other day...'God is responsible for the consequences of our obedience!' Yes! God has a plan for this man to be Jesus to someone there in that place. He also has a plan for us as we are obedient in leaving our comfort zone and moving so far away. As we stay focused on Him, He will provide whatever is needed for us to do His will. That is exciting to think about in the midst of the sadness of leaving family and friends. I am grateful in knowing there are new friends who are already praying for us in this time just as there are old friends who will continue to pray for us. Dear Jesus, Thank You for yesterday...today...and tomorrow. Thank You for the promises of Your Word. Thank You for reminders of what is needed to be what You desire of me. Lord, would You fill me to overflowing with more of You? Would You fill my depleted physical tank with an added bonus of Your supernatural strength? Would You keep me focused on You today as I go throughout this day? Father, if another fax is needed would You please give me the right attitude? Lord, would You be my peace today no matter what happens or doesn't happen? Thank You Father for being My Life. Amen.
I woke up this morning to a song Casting Crowns sings called "If Ever We Needed You" and immediately was overcome with sadness for people in my little world who are pretending to be right with God. It use to be that I would be upset with people who called themselves Christians yet blatantly don't live such a life because they give Christians a bad name but now it goes deeper than that. I am truly fearful for their eternity. In our Bible study last night as we completed Hebrews there was a question asking what one thing we learned from the study. For me it was I need to love deeper with Jesus' love. When I encounter people who are choosing to live in the world instead of with the Lord (even though they profess to be His follower), I need to love them with His love to bring them into a deeper walk with Him. His love needs to flow greater from me so people see and hear Him in me. His love needs to ooze out of me so people will desire to have His peace as I do during the storms of life. His love needs to be a constant in me so people will desire what they see me living out.
Paul teaches in Romans 8 about the importance of dying to self. Verses twelve through fourteen capture what each and every follower of Christ need to do...
In order to get to the point where we need to be we first must acknowledge Him and then surrender to Him every aspect of our life. The words in this song show what needs to happen for everyone. We must reach out for Him and allow Him to guide us. If we don't take the step of surrender to Him, we will not have life with Him for eternity. We must go beyond being saved. If we've ever needed You, Lord, it's now, Lord, it's now, We are desperate for Your hand, we're reachin' out, we're reachin' out, we're reachin' out
Dear Jesus, Thank You for our study on Hebrews. Last night was another 'last' that was hard. Our small group has been together for years and have studied many books of the Bible and topics. Father, bless these ones in our group. I pray they will continue to seek more of You. Lord, today will be another 'last' as I meet Sister Diane and Julie for lunch. I pray You will bless our time together. Then today our 'last' Wednesday night with our Willard Naz family. Goodness, so many 'last' but I know our time of 'first' are getting closer. I pray for more of You in me as my physical body is tired I do not want to miss an any opportunity You put before me. Enable me to love with Your love in a deeper way. Thank You Jesus for being The One I Am Surrendered To. Amen.
