II Timothy 1:7; Jeremiah 29:11-16 - "Thy Will"

The tears have been flowing off and on since Doc's appointment yesterday. I know he is a walking miracle with passing the one year mark with the cancer in his pancreas. I desire to see God preform a miraculous healing in his body while he is on this earth, sooner than later. Most importantly I want God's will for us. The song Thy Will that Hilary Scott sings is going through my mind as I try to grasp this situation.

I know You’re good
But this don’t feel good right now
And I know You think
Of things I could never think about
It’s hard to count it all joy
Distracted by the noise
Just trying to make sense
Of all Your promises
Sometimes I gotta stop
Remember that You’re God
And I am not
So

Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Thy will be done
Like a child on my knees all that comes to me is
Thy will be done
Thy will be done

The desire of my heart is to live out His will. To do this I must  continue to lean into Him and allow the Holy Spirit to empower me just as Paul instructs in II Timothy 1:7. I am not fearful of what is ahead. Just sad. I will not give up praying for a miracle. As Doc has said many times, 'as long as I have breath there is hope.' I'm grateful for this self-quarantine time where I do not have to be out and about. It's so hard to be 'ok' in this time. I'm grateful for people who send texts or messages on Facebook without expecting a reply. It is taking every ounce of my energy to put one foot in front of the other. I sure don't feel like I have the strength to answer questions. God is so good at giving me what I need, when I need it. I do not know how people get through the 'tough' times of life without Him. I'm struggling as it is even with my faith. I struggle with the promises of healing in His Word when we have prayed and prayed and prayed and it hasn't happened. I struggle with the promise of Jeremiah 29:11-14 of being brought out of captivity when we seek Him. Pancreatic cancer has taken Doc's body captive. It has taken our life captive. We have prayed and prayed for healing in his body yet it seems to be winning in this fight. 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

I'm struggling with this but I know God will continue to be my strength through these days. I know He will reveal to me what I need to know when I need to know it. I also know He is with me especially when I am falling apart emotionally. 

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your love! Thank You for the way You strengthen me in these 'tough' days! Thank You for continuing to give us what we need emotionally! Father, cleanse me of anything not of You so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May You become more real to Doc and I than ever before as this path with the cancer has taken a turn. Lord, I continue to pray for him to be healed of this disease while on this earth, sooner than later. I pray for Your will to be realized and for You to be glorified through it. Thank You for being My Strength! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 57 - "Your Love Oh Lord"

The Lord took me to Psalm 57 this morning. This Psalm was written about a time in David's life where he chose to pray as he waiting for God to end a trial he was experiencing. Saul had been after him and in this Psalm David had an opportunity to take Saul out. David's men were tired of running and begged David to end it when Saul came into the same cave they were in. Instead David prayed and told his men he was not going to take Saul out. We see David putting his trust in God in the first verse of this Psalm. 

Please, God, show me mercy!

Open your grace-fountain for me,
for you are my soul’s true shelter.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your embrace,
under the wings of your cherubim,
until this terrible trouble is past (TPT).

David knew God would continue to protect him from Saul as he leaned into Him. He knew he was safe in the shelter of God's wings just as a baby bird is safe in the shelter of their mother's wings when a storm comes. I read something this morning that spoke volumes to me.

Even this trial of yours is part of God’s purpose for you. It’s one of the “all things” that he performs for you. Trials are not outside of God’s control. They are tools in God’s hands to make you more like his Son.

Wow! These words reiterate something I already knew but can easily forget when the walls come crushing in. God is still in control. I cannot allow the enemy to convince me otherwise. I must continue to stand upon II Timothy 1:7 in the empowerment of the Holy Spirit so the enemy has no open door into my life. I must not try to manipulate circumstances but instead take safety in the Lord. God will continue to be faithful in protecting me. He will continue to pour out His love and mercy over me as I allow Him. He will guide me through the trials of life as He sees fit. He knows me and knows what I need before I even need it. The trials on this earth are only temporary. Sometimes He takes the trials away and sometimes He removes people from this earth to end the trials. What a glorious day it will be when we no longer have to deal with trials! Woo hoo! Verse five shows David glorifying God through his trial. That is exactly what I need to do when going through trials. 

Lord God, be exalted as you soar throughout the heavens.
May your shining glory be seen in the skies!
Let it be seen high above over all the earth! (TPT)

Yes! When we glorify God, it takes our eyes off our circumstances. As we praise Him, He fills our spiritual tank back up. We have a better attitude when we are praising Him than we are lamenting. A good attitude throughout a trial makes for an easier time in dealing with it. Instead of complaining as we wait for a trial to end we are grateful to have the Lord with us. People will see how we handle trials with His peace and be in awe of Him. They will desire that same peace. When we have a 'bad' attitude through a trial, God cannot be glorified. As we wait for God to end our trial, we need to remember that He will end it in His time. That is not always easy to accept but it is a must. We must never try to manipulate our circumstances but instead rest in the knowledge God is in control no matter what happens. David chose to sing praises to God as he waited for God to take out his enemy. I love the word picture verses ten and eleven give.

Your love is so extravagant it reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness so astonishing it stretches to the sky!
11 Lord God, be exalted as you soar throughout the heavens.
May your shining glory be shown in the skies!
Let it be seen high above all the earth!

Yes! Lord, be glorified through the trials I am in the midst of! His love and faithfulness will be great over me as I wait. I am reminded of lyrics to a song Third Day sings called Your Love Oh Lord...

Your love, oh Lord
Reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness stretches to the sky
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows like the ocean's tide
I will lift my voice
To worship You, my King
I will find my strength
In the shadow of your wings

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your love! Thank You for protecting me under Your wings as I wait for the trials I am in the midst of to end! Thank You being greater than these trials today! Father, I pray for an abundance of Your physical, mental, emotional, and especially spiritual strength to be with Doc today as he goes for chemo. Father, may You be greater than the C in his pancreas. May You shelter him under Your wings as he waits for You to end this trial of life. Lord, I also pray for June, my two friends who are dealing with pain, my friend dealing with cancer, Kandi, Jack and Paula, Deanna, Craig, Vance, David and Gwen, Lisa, Mike, Linda, Joanne, Norma, Brenda, Melanie, and so many others who are going through trials right now. May You be greater than their trials. May we all lean into Your strength as we wait for You to end them. Father, cleanse me so You can fill me to overflowing with more of Your Holy Spirit. Empower me to stand in You today and to praise You no matter what happens throughout this day. Thank You Jesus for being My Protection! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 13 - "Tunnel"

This morning God took me Psalm 13....

This Psalm is one David wrote when he was tired of feeling like an enemy was winning. He was lamenting to God about how long it was going to be before this time with his enemy was over. I can relate to the way David felt in this Psalm. The question of 'when is it going to be over?' shows David knows it will be over. It shows he had hope of an end in sight. He knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Third Day sings a song called Tunnel that encourages me to not give up hoping in the Lord.

There's a light at the end of this tunnel
There's a light at the end of this tunnel for you, for you
And there's a light at the end of this tunnel
Shining bright at the end of this tunnel for you, for you
So keep holding on

The key to being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel is to allow God to carry you through such times. The song continues...

You got your disappointments and sorrows
You ought to share the weight of that load with me
Then you will find that the light of tomorrow
Well it brings new life for your eyes to see

As we allow Him to empower us through such times we will realize He is in control no matter what happens. He is there to encourage us through the 'tough' days of life. He is OK with us asking the question 'how long?' It doesn't upset Him for us to lament. In fact, I believe He expects it from us. He created us and knows we have emotions. He also knows when we go through 'tough' times we can go deeper in our faith with Him. He knows as we stand upon II Timothy 1:7 we will be choosing His strength through the Holy Spirit instead of living out our own strength. David was feeling abandon in Psalm 13 but we never need to feel that way. God promised us He will always be with us. We need to take that promise to heart. We have been in Beaufort almost four years. One of the reasons we came here was because of the need for a building for the church. No one would have ever thought we would still not be in a building after this time. But God knew. He knows everything. Nothing surprises Him. There is a reason for everything that happens. There is a reason the electric subcontractor has not came to complete his part of the project. I do not know the reason but I do know we cannot give up now. I do not understand why pancreatic cancer has taken over my husband's body and pulled him from doing physical work. But I do understand that God has not abandon us. Now, more than ever, is a time we as a church body need to pull together and be strong in our faith. We need to pray for God to reveal open doors and to close ones that need closed. There is a reason things have happened as they have. We may not like it but God's timing is best. We may not understand it but we will get into the building when He desires. Perhaps there is a lesson we need to learn or there is a blessing coming that we need to wait for. I don't know but I do know He has a plan and we must not give up. It would be so easy to say 'I'm done' and walk away but that is not God's desire. He wants us to persevere and continue to allow Him to use us through these 'tough' days. There is coming a time where we will be worshiping in the building God has provided for us. He would not have brought us this far just for us to fail. He wants us to draw nearer to Him and trust Him. I truly believe we are at the point where there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we just need to keep walking in forward progress. We may 'stall' from time to time but we should be use to that by now. We've had many times such as this. We have a choice to make. We can either throw our hands in the air and give up or we can press on. We can either allow God to continue to work in His time or we can manipulate situations. We can either keep with God or we can allow the enemy to win. I pray all of us will choose God over the enemy. I pray God will continue to encourage us on this road. I also am confident He will as we allow Him. 

Dear Jesus,  
Thank You for the words of encouragement of Psalm 13! Thank You for showing me how David lamented yet he never quit having hope in You! Thank You for the encouragement we receive through You! Father, our church body is tired but I pray for each one of us to press into You in a more intentional way. I pray for You to encourage us as we continue this process of getting into the building. We pray You will provide workers to complete projects. We ask for forward progress to be seen sooner than later. Lord, we need to see Your will revealed in many areas of our life. I continue to pray for the spiritual needs of all of us. May You become more real to all. I also continue to pray for our pastor's healing from this pancreatic cancer. We need him to be the leader You called him to be here in Beaufort. The distraction of this disease is overwhelming and needs gone. Lord, continue to encourage all of us through these 'tough' days. I pray for Your encouragement to overwhelm people today. I also continue to pray for the financial needs we are facing. Thank You Father for being Our Light At The End of The Tunnel! Amen.

 

II Timothy 1:7; Matthew 22:36-39 - "Thy Will"

Heavy burdens for others lead to a great deepening with the Lord. He blesses me in abundance through intercession. As I pray for people to have His peace, I receive His peace myself. The Lord has given me multiple physical healings and has given me a heart to pray for physical healing for others. He also healed my spiritual body many years ago when I had turned away from Him. I pray the same for many today. My heart breaks to see and hear those who proclaim to be His followers being nasty to others. God does not condone such behavior. The saying 'if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all' needs to be adhered to in this day and time. I am not being judgmental. God continues to have me pray for people's words, actions, attitude, and thoughts that are not showing His love. He plainly gave the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:36-39 along with the second greatest. It reads in The Passion Translation:

“‘Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.’ This is the great and supreme commandment. And the second is like it in importance: ‘You must love your friend in the same way you love yourself.’"

If we are bashing other people, we are not following these commandments. If we are verbally attacking others or allowing our political views to causes division, we are not following these commandments. If we are not following these commandments, how can we proclaim to follow God? I don't believe we can. I've heard different people say they are quitting social media because there is 'too much drama' or 'too much negativity.' Everyone has to make their own decision. I choose to stay on social media to show God's love through positive posts, be connected with family and friends, and be a beacon of light for God. I don't read every post that comes before me. When I see they are political or controversial, I scroll on by. Being on social media shows me how I can pray for people, especially their spiritual needs. If Moses would have turned away from the Israelites when they continued to not do as God desired, where would we be today? Instead he prayed for them to change their ways. He stood in the gap for them asking God to not wipe them off the earth but instead to give them another chance. That is exactly what I am doing when I pray for believers who are not living out God's commandments to love. In The Passion Translation He tells us to love with passion and energy. If more people would put their passion and energy into loving instead of tearing down, our world would be a lot different. If all of us would love as Jesus loved, our world would be so different. It would be a world of peace and joy. I think of the acronym for joy.

Jesus

Others

Yourself

His joy and His peace are what we all can live in when we follow the greatest commandment. Oh how I pray for God to give people second chances to get in right relationship with Him so they can know His joy and peace. I continue to pray for people to get their focus off of self and onto Him so they can live a life of obedience to His will. Just as Elijah called out to God and asked Him to reveal Himself to the Israelites, I am calling out and asking God to reveal Himself to the believers today who are not living out the greatest commandment. I am praying for their eyes to be opened to Him so their hearts will no longer be hardened. I am praying for there to be spiritual breakthroughs that can only occur through His miraculous power. I am praying for people to no longer allow satan to have open doors into their lives and for the spirit of fear to be overtaken by great faith. May more people stand upon II Timothy 1:7 where the Holy Spirit empowers them to not fear but instead to love with God's love. God has revealed to me people are acting out of fear through words not of Him. He has revealed to me people are not thinking of Him before they speak but instead are allowing the enemy to blind them from Him. My heart breaks. The tears have fallen many times. I don't want to see anyone go to hell but if we are not walking in full agreement to Him that is where we will go. He has laid people on my heart to pray for and I have. I can't carry the burden of people's eternity around but instead have given the burdens back to Him to handle. I cannot change people myself but I know Who can. For that knowledge, I am thankful. Praise His Holy Name.

Dear Jesus
Thank You for using me as Your obedient servant! Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace that restored me when I walked away! Thank You for Your joy and peace as I seek You with my whole heart! Thank You for giving me Moses and Elijah as examples to follow in intercessory prayer! Thank You for being the Greatest Example of being an Intercessor! Lord, cleanse me today so You can fill me to overflowing with more of Your Holy Spirit. May You be my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts throughout this day. Thank You for godly men like Dan and Corey who speak life to me! Thank You for my godly husband who lives a godly example not only for others but especially in our home! Lord, may Your will be for his healing today. May his pain be gone so he can eat and may You be greater than the cancer in his pancreas. Lord, I pray for the physical needs of June, Janice, and Deanna today with medical procedures and testing. I pray You will give doctors wisdom, nurses a gentle touch, and protection for all. Lord, once again I come before You praying for spiritual needs. May eyes be opened up to You so hearts will not be hardened. Lord, be greater than anything that is ahead in this day. Thank You Jesus for being Greatest Example! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Matthew 28:16-20 - "You Say"

Last night was a 'typical' Saturday night with praying for pastors. The first time God woke me I prayed for pastors as they continue to work through the ins and outs of the coronavirus. I especially prayed for them to have a gentle spirit with not being harsh with their words as they discuss regathering with their church body. There is so much opposition within people's opinion on what is 'right' and what is 'wrong' with masks, social distancing, etc. There also is so many who are being downright nasty to others in their words, actions, and attitude. I prayed against their being division in the church over it. One cannot truly be walking in the Lord's will when they allow the enemy to be in control of them. Believers must stay 'prayed up' so the enemy does not have an open door into our lives. The second time I woke I prayed through the list of South Carolina lead pastors. I prayed for them to listen to God and not people when making decisions. The third time I woke I prayed for all pastors to preach salvation and sanctification. Many people are ready to make a change in their life with what all is going on in our world. God is preparing hearts so pastors can preach the Word and lives will be changed. He is preparing hearts so when believers share the Gospel people will be open to it. Woo hoo! I am reminded this morning of the Great Commission given in Matthew 28. Verses sixteen through twenty read in the New International Version:

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

These words were spoken for all believers to follow. We are all called. He gave us authority to do what He did in bringing people into relationship with Him. We are to make disciples with those He puts in our path. The easiest way to do that is to love them with His love. People will desire to be in relationship with Him when they see how we live. They will desire His peace when they see us living it out. As people see us living in His empowerment that Paul speaks of in II Timothy 1:7 they will desire the same. It is not just pastors who are called to share Him with others but everyone. Pastors are called with specific gifts, places, etc. in mind. We all have different gifts to use as we share Christ but the one thing we have in common is His love. People need to experience His love and the best way for this to happen is for us to share it.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your love that gets me through every moment of every day! Thank You for the opportunities You give me to love on others! Thank You for the privilege to bring Your Word this morning! As I always say, I don't like that it is because Doc is not able to preach but I sure do enjoy it. May You be greater than the cancer in his pancreas today. May You be the Soothing Balm he needs to get through the pain and 'chemo fog' he is experiencing. Father, I pray not only for him but all who are dealing with physical issues. I pray for them to have a support system here on earth along with You as their Support. Lord, cleanse me today so You can fill me to overflowing with more of You. May You be seen and heard by my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts today in a new, different way. I pray for all pastors preaching today to bring the message of salvation and sanctification. I pray they will allow You to be in control over the message brought forth. May You be their empowerment in a great way!  Thank You Jesus for being My Authority! Amen.

 

II Timothy 1:7; Romans 8:34 - "Come Out of Hiding"

Last night the Lord woke me at 12, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 to pray for a pastor's wife with breast cancer. I have never met her nor have I had an update for a few weeks. I do not know what is happening in her life but He had me pray for her to have "His peace" so I did. Jesus is our Intercessor with God the Father. Romans 8:34 (ESV) tells us Jesus died for us and rose again and sits at the right hand of God interceding for us. God used Moses as an intercessor for the Israelites. Moses 'stood in the gap' for them and cried out for their safety many times. An intercessor does just that. They cry out to Jesus on behalf of others. The word intercession means the action of intervening on behalf of another. I do not understand why He uses me for this but I am blessed through it. I know just as He has me praying for others He also has others praying for me. I also know the more I am obedient to Him, the more He will trust me as His servant. The only way one can be an intercessor is to be seeking to live a Christ-like life. Jesus died on the cross for all our sins and became our intercessor with the Father. We must be cleansed before we can become an intercessor. As I pray for others, my focus is taken off of self. This is a great blessing for me. Sometimes the situations of life become overwhelming. They make it hard to stay focused on what I need to focus on. Sometimes I get to the point where I do not even know how to pray anymore. Thankfully, He knows our prayers before they are even spoken. I do not have to fear anything but instead need to live in His will. II Timothy 1:7 tells me God gives us a spirit of power, love, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The only way to have these is to live in relationship with Him. We must not be content with salvation but instead must move into being sanctified wholly. God gave me a heart for people. He gave me a spirit of great love for all but when He called me to be an intercessor that love for others went deeper. Sometimes I am overwhelmed with how He allows me to have a glimpse into people's lives. Sometimes it is with great sadness while other times it is with great joy. The best times are when He has me praying for spiritual needs and there are breakthroughs. I continue to pray for healing in Doc's body from the cancer in his pancreas. No matter what the outcome, He will be praised! I continue to pray for families in distress. I pray protection over children in volatile situations and spouses living in abuse. Physical needs are part of those prayers but most of all I pray for their spiritual needs. It is difficult to believe there is a God who loves you when you are being abused. 'If there is a God who loves me, why is He allowing this to happen?' 'Why would a loving God allow beatings, rapes, etc. happen?' These are hard questions to answer. The only answer I have is that God does not cause hurt. Sin does. God can use hurtful times to draw us closer to Him. He can use victory over hurtful times to glorify Him. God loves everyone not just some. He loves us so much and desires us to live in His will not in the ways of the world. I have been praying through the coronavirus for a few things.

1. God will open up the eyes of believers so they will see what He desires of them.
2. People will come into relationship with Him through the words, actions, and attitude of believers.
3. Believers will get to the end of themselves to realize they cannot live with one foot in the world and one foot with God.
4. Eternal life will become more real in the minds of people. In other words, people will think about where they are headed. Heaven or hell and the impact of that.
5. Children will be protected from abuse. Those who live in abusive situations will have someone love on them with His love.
6. People will not go hungry but instead will have people around them to love on them to meet their physical needs. 
7. Those who are quarantined alone will be loved on through calls, letters, people getting their groceries, etc.

It is interesting how the number seven keeps coming up in my life. I have read many times that seven is used in the Bible to show completeness. When I am doing something that has a list such as these things I pray for during the coronavirus and realize I have seven things, I believe God is telling me my list is complete. I love how He speaks to me. It is my pleasure to walk in obedience to Him knowing I am doing what He desires of me.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your love! Thank You for interceding with our Father on my behalf! Thank You for the blessing yesterday with Joshua and Tiffany doing our landscaping! What a blessing to have them in our lives. Thank You Father for cleansing me today so You can fill me with more of You! Thank You for the opportunities You are going to give me to share Your love! Father, I pray once again for Janice to have Your peace. I don't know what she is going through but You do and that is all that matters. Lord, there are so many struggling with physical battles. May You be greater than their battles. I continue to pray for a healing in Doc's body while on this earth sooner than later. Lord, You are the Only One who knows when that will be but I pray it will be soon. May You be greater than his pain today. May Your love come down upon him in a mighty way so he can bask in Your presence. May You be his Soothing Balm in a new, different way in the days ahead. Thank You for being My Intercessor! Amen.

II Timothy 1:7; Psalm 17; I Thessalonians 5:16-18; Joshua 1:9 - "Give Me Faith"

The Lord took me to Psalm 17 for the second time this week. As I read it again in different passages I thought I must have missed something the other day. Or maybe I just needed to have something emphasized to me. Whatever the reason is I am going to dig into it again this morning. God is so good and starting my days off with exactly what I need to give me the gumption to get moving, something I will experience in the day, or something to share with someone who needs to hear what He gives me. This Psalm is a prayer of David. The first seven verses show how David talked with God about their relationship. He reminded God of his faith in knowing God heard his prayers. Matthew Henry wrote, "Feigned prayers are fruitless; but if our hearts lead our prayers, God will meet them with his favour." It takes living in relationship with Him to know our prayers are heard. Prayer is conversation with God. It can happen even when one is in a crowd of people. I have conversations throughout the day with Him. Some are spoken out loud while others are silent. I know He not only hears my prayers but He answers them. I strive to live out Paul's words in I Thessalonians 5:16-18. It reads in the New International Version:

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

If I were to have written these words, I might have changed them around to read: "When you strive to live in God's will, He will empower you to rejoice and be thankful no matter what you are going through." It is in His will that I am empowered. As I strive to live out II Timothy 1:7, He empowers me to stand firm in my faith through these 'tough' days with the cancer in Doc's pancreas. I rejoice every day of life we have together. I continue to pray for his healing while on this earth to happen sooner than later. I thank God for the times we have of him feeling 'good' and able to make memories but I also thank Him for the strength He provides both of us for the days of just laying and watching TV, talking, praying, etc. When we pray for His will, we have to be ready to live it out. I have prayed with many distraught parents over their children, people waiting on someone in a surgery with unknown consequences, families waiting to hear the outcome of a tragic accident, etc. I tell people when they pray for 'His will' they must be ready to accept it and live it out. His will is not always what we, as humans, would choose. His will may be hard to accept for some but for those who know Him it makes it easier. His will is always what is best for all involved. HIs will is for all to spend eternity with Him in heaven. We all have choices to make every day we are on this earth to either live in His will or not. I desire to live in His will. It is there I found comfort and peace in the midst of the storms of life. I know He hears my prayers and I also know He answers them. As I pray for His will, I must be ready to accept whatever that entails. No matter what happens I am assured He has His best interests for me. I am feeling weak in many areas of my life these days but I am thankful God is my strength. I am reminded of the words of Give Me Faith this morning that Elevation Worship sings...

Give me faith to trust what You say
That You're good and Your love is great
I'm broken inside, I give You my life

I may be weak but Your Spirit's strong in me
My flesh may fail, but my God, You never will

Praise His Holy Name for all the ways He strengthens me. Every morning when He gives me Scripture and a song I am encouraged. They start my day off feeling strong in Him. These days as I watch Doc in pain I become weak in my emotions yet God is there wrapping His arms around me loving on me. That strengthens me. He puts people in my path that encourage me when I feel like I am falling apart. I was so thankful for the conversation with our neighbor Bill last night. God knew exactly what I needed to hear and provided. Praise His Holy Name! He never fails to provide because He knows exactly what I need.

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for loving us so much! Thank You for being with us yesterday when Doc wasn't having a typical day after chemo! Thank You for giving him strength! Thank You for our time of having a meal at the table! Lord, You already know my prayer for Him. May Your will be that he is healed on this earth, sooner than later. Your will Father is what we are focused on. Lord, cleanse me so You can fill me today to overflowing with more of You. May the empowerment of the Holy Spirit be so great upon me that You ooze out of me in a way that will make people desire to have more of You. May I remember Your words to Joshua when You called him to lead the Israelites. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Praise Your Holy Name that I know You are with us on the mountaintops and in the valleys! Lord, this morning I continue to pray for: Dick who is recuperating from knee replacement; Brenda who had complications from surgery; my friend who had a procedure yesterday; Erica and her family and the Isenhart family as they prepare for services tomorrow for their loved ones; those who lost income due to the coronavirus; families struggling to put food on the table; and so many people who are hurting. Lord, may You be greater than the situations they are in. May Your will be revealed to them and accepted. May hearts and lives be changed. Thank You Jesus for being My Strength! Amen.