Addendum

God's timing is impeccable.  It's amazing and astounding and right on the money every time.  

I bought a new devotional recently called "31 Days of Prayer by Ruth and Warren Myers and I'm loving it.  It beautifully focuses my heart and gives a springboard for turning my muddled murmurings into coherent prayers that make sense and say what I want them to. 

Well, right after I typed the last journal entry I went into today's reading and it was entitled "Pray Against Satan; Praise for Victory in Christ.  It spoke of intercessory prayer and how we are included in the battle against evil.  How we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms, joining with Him in intercession for our loved ones, the lost, whatever and wherever in the world that the Spirit leads us.  From the book:  "So I stand boldly before Your throne, grateful that I'm not praying alone.  Rather, I'm joining Your Son and all Your 'prayer warriors' as we strive in prayer against the enemy--as we advance Your purposes and defeat Satan's purposes in lives and situations throughtout the world."

This intercessor role is our duty and privilege as children of God!  And how wonderful a mission it is!

Lord, there is no such thing a coincidence in Your world.  And I don't believe that this reading was not meant for exactly this day. As I typed in the previous entry under the Holy Spirit's lead, it was meant to meld perfectly together with this day's devotion.  Thank You the way Your timing is always perfect.  Let that be a lesson to us to not give up as we pray, because the timing for answers is in Your hands.  Hallelujah!! 

Song!

 

I have heard this song a lot lately and it really stirs my heart to be that prayer warrior for others.  I was once lost, drowning in the sea of addiction.  I was drunk and high most of the time, claiming to be a Christian, even reading my Bible.  Was I saved at that time?  I believe so.  Was I living as a child of God.  Absolutely not.  I was adrift in a haze of alcohol and drugs, trying to numb my pain but instead was actually destroying myself.  

But Mom prayed.  And she enlisted prayer warriors.  And eventually much like the prodigal son, I came to my senses and went back to my Father's house.  

Are you lost and falling?  I am praying for you.  Are you the prayer warrior watching your loved one walk a dangerous path of destruction?  Know that God hears those prayers and is working.  I'm sure there were many days my Mom thought her prayers would never be answered, but they were.  In God's way, in His timing.  Whether you are the prayee or the prayer, DON'T GIVE UP.  Answers are coming!

Lord, I pray for each one reading this.  I pray that You will work out all things going on in their lives, the good, the bad and the ugly for Your glory and for their blessing.  I stand alongside those who are praying for loved ones to be delivered and saved.  Lord, work out their heart's desire.  I pray for those who are struggling, that You would come alongside them and bring purpose and deliverance, place their feet on higher ground.  You see each need, each hurt, each life, each heart.  You know how and when to change things.  Help us all not to give up in the face of the rockiest roads and the highest obstacles.  Let's not stop trying to grow, or praying for others.  You got this Lord!  You got us!!  In the Nname of our mighty Savior, Jesus Christ.  

Right Where I Am

Our Father is so loving to, tenderhearted and knowing of each of us.  I was talking to Him this morning about how I can have great prayers in my head, but when I speak them aloud in a group setting they come out all jumbled and, in my eyes, senseless.  I hear others pray to eloquently and I feel so inadequate in my words.  I know in my heart that I am heard, I am loved and that God doesn't care about fancy speech and fluency.  He hears and knows exactly what I mean, and how to meet the need I am praying for.  But still I feel tongue tied and nervous.

I bought a new devotional from Ruth Myers (with Warren Myers) called "31 Days of Prayer and have been going through it most mornings.  Well today's lesson was "Pray for God's working in your church."  This is something a small group of us has been studying on Thursday mornings.  How to get along and be in unity as a church.  It's a great teaching and sometimes quite difficult to walk out as we are humans.  Cue the Holy Spirit here!!

Well at the end of the reading Ruth quoted from William Gurnall a very astute thought.  "Sometimes you hear another pray with freedom and fluency, while you can hardly get out a few broken words.  Hence you are ready to accuse yourself and admire him, as if the gilding of the key makes it open the door better."

Wow.  What a profound statement.  I know God was encouraging me, and revealing His heart to me.  He doesn't care about smooth-spoken, perfectly expressed prayers.  He sees the heart and love behind even the most crudely spoken words and in His perfect way, answers the halting, bashful prayer as well as the most eloquent and boldly spoken one.  

The Bible tells us in Romans 8:26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

Our words may not come out as wonderfully as some great orator or even the person city next to us in the pew, but our Lord hears them loud and clear.  

Thank You Lord!  You take even the simplest, child-like, fumbly prayer and turn it into an arrow of Your power and love for those we pray for, the concerns we bring before You and our deepest needs.  You are amazing and I love You for just the right timing of words on a page that comforted and soothed my heart.  I'm always blessed when these things occur and I am doubly blessed to share them with others.  Thank You again.  

Reel Them In!

2 Corinthians 10:4-6  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 

The last few days I've been struggling with thoughts of annoyance.  I've been complaining in my head about a project that sort of got dropped on me at church.  It was a job that already had people that did it each year, so why it came on me this time around I really have no idea.  LOL.  And I have no problem helping out, but I didn't want the bulk of it to be on my plate.  There were quite a few things there already, thank you very much.  But here I was caught in the net of planning and executing things and I really felt in over my head and frustrated with the fact that I ended up being the one to do this.  

I had just went through the whole serving is an honor lesson with God.  And I am so very, very honored to be able to serve Him in any way He deems necessary in whatever time He appoints.  But all this  got thrown overboard as I entered into this task and felt very much set adrift on my own.  

Well, thankfully a friend saw what was going on and started praying for me.  I am so grateful for her, because no matter how hard I was trying to find the honor, find the peace, I kept coming back to a complaining spirit (in my head anyway).  

I took the time to go for a walk and after listening to some teaching, I took some time to pray as I walked,  and the Lord gave me this amazing picture of the above verse.  Anyone that has done some fishing knows how a fish will grab hold of the baited hook and try to run.  Let's just call that fish a whinerfish.  Every time I hooked that whinerfish with my hook (obedience to God's Word), he tried to run, tried to drag me along the "complaining and whining line."  But through the strength of Christ, and the prayers of my friend I was finally able to reel that fish in.  That negative thinking  that kept my awake at night, that wanted to derail my service to God and cause a division in my heart was finally brought into the obedience of Jesus.  God is so good!!

I know this may seem like a silly picture to many people.  But to me, it was gold.  It was a beautiful example of putting God's Word in action and seeing it in a clear, common sense way.  I am so grateful for the prayers of friends and the way God uses them to lift us up and out of the pits we slide into.  I am so grateful for His ability to show us things in a way we can understand.  

Lord, thank You again for reaching me, teaching me and turning things around.  You are an awesome, wise and loving Father.  Thank You for the way You gave my friend insight into what was going on in my heart and for her desire to pray for me.  And thank You for the peace I now have in my heart and for bringing back the joy of serving You.  I am so honored and so blessed to be Your child and Your servant.  

I just saw this little saying in a book I'm reading:  

Coram Deo: 

Living all of life in the Presence of God

Under the authority of God

and to the glory of God. 

Coram Deo is Latin for "in the Presence of God."  LOVE IT!!

Double Visit

Colossians 3:23-24 23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

Today I was doing a lot of prep work for some food I was making.  Now, I don't really love cooking.  I mean, it's okay...but I don't like messes, and it makes a mess.  It's just not my favorite thing in the world.  But each week we have a lunch after church and each week a bunch of the ladies bring food, myself included.  So I was prepping that, also a side dish for a bar-bq we are headed to today and some food for dinners during the upcoming week.  Lots of chopping and slicing and mixing!

Sometimes the extra cooking for the lunch can get tiring.  It's already the end of a busy week and I don't really feel like making another meal, lol.  But as I stood their chopping veggies and mixing coatings, I got to think that it was actually an honor to be doing this for God.  How precious my couple of hours became when I looked at it that way. 

I finally got all of it done and ready, so I decided I would take a walk.  A little background here, I've been trying to limit my tv time and "rest" time (for me that is doing a puzzle) and spend more with the Lord, reading, studying, praying, etc.  And that is important to do...all those things.  But as I walked and listening to Joyce Meyer teach on "Doing Life With God," she said something that really spoke to my heart.  I can't remember the exact words , but she said that it's just as sacred to light the candles on your child's birthday cake as it is to light a candle in the church.  

Hmmm.  Everything we do, as long as we are doing it for God, thru God, with God, it's sacred because we are living for Him.  Whether that's taking care of our body by exercising, taking care of our family, giving ourselves "off" time to rest our minds, doing things that make us laugh.  All of it can be glorifying to our Lord if we give it to Him.  

I really needed to hear this.  I've been so intent on becoming a "God time" professional, I was sort of forgetting I was to take care of all areas of my life, whether it's my spiritual life or my mental and emotion and physical well being.   I needed to know that my cooking for others, was cooking for Him and honoring Him as much as spending time in Bible study.  

God still needs to come first in all things.  But we are multifaceted beings, created by Him to find enjoyment, purpose, and fellowship.  Don't let yourself become so rigid in what you do for the Lord, that you forget that He designed you for fun too. 

Lord, thank You for the permission to enjoy life and all that You bless us with.  Keep us balanced as we see to honor and glorify and serve You each day.  Give us wisdom in all things.  And let us honor You in each area of our lives.  In Jesus' Name, amen.