Prayer

LOOK UP!

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The RAIN finally came!! As I was in Choir practice, I could hear the downpour outside and the cracking and rumbling of thunder.

But as I left the church, I saw it had stopped. As I got closer to my home, my attention was drawn to the night sky – beautiful!!

But what awaited me at home was not! My husband reported seeing hail (in Florida!) and the indoor/outdoor carpet on my porch was soaked. One bird feeder pole was on the ground…the other one leaning to the side. One heavy potted rose bush was about 2 feet from where it usually sat on the patio. And my poor plants looked like they had been in a boxing match!

My husband estimated that the wind gusted about 50mph at times. When I got home all I saw was the result. There was no wind, no rain, and no thunder.

And as I saw the devastation on the ground, I once again looked up and saw the beauty in the night sky – reminding me to keep my sight on things above – reminding me to keep my sight on God!

In the coming days, we may not see what is happening spiritually…but we definitely will see the result!

Open our eyes, LORD, that we may SEE!  Open our ears, LORD, that we may HEAR!  And open our mouths, LORD, that we may PRAY!img_1076


Can’t Sleep?

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I have found that some of my best times with the Lord are late at night or early, early morning (3:00-4:30am).

I don’t choose to not sleep or to wake up that early…but sometimes He invites me for a late nite chat or early morning wake up call. And I don’t ever want to miss an opportunity to connect with Him!!

So! If you can’t sleep – don’t fret – draw near to God and be assured, He is ready to draw near to you!

CONNECTION

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Good morning! May we find someone today that we can connect with and let them know that they are loved! Sometimes all that is needed is to smile and to give them your full attention if they speak to you.

And if they begin to share something happening in their lives – sickness, relationship problems, etc. – can I encourage you to be bold and ask if you can pray with them?

I have connected with strangers in the grocery store and Walmart that are so desperate for release from their problems, that they begin to share personal parts of their lives with me. The Lord opens the door for me to gently take them by the hand and lead them to the One who can bring them through their circumstances.

And the Lord will open that door for you too! Be expectant and be ready!

DO YOU BELIEVE?

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I was so blessed to be able to pray for our waitress as a friend and I had a late breakfast in a local restaurant today. 
 
“Can I pray with you? Do you have a need this morning?” That is all it takes to open the door to being that connection between God and a miracle waiting to be released into a person’s life!!   

Do you believe that?? Do you believe that God not only WANTS to use you…but WILL use you to bring healing, restoration, deliverance, hope, encouragement, and love to others?

If you do believe…I would encourage you to be BOLD! Take the opportunity to be that person that God can use to change a person’s life for His glory!!

Are you willing? Be expectant as you go about your day tomorrow! Speak Life! Speak Blessing!! Speak Love!!

AARON AND HUR

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So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down,  Amalek prevailed.  But Moses’ hands were heavy.  Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other.  Thus his hands were steady until the sun set.    (Exodus 17: 11-12 NASB)

I have been thinking of this Scripture a lot lately.  A lot has been happening in my life and I have come to the realization of how important friends are in helping me to accomplish God’s will in my life.

I don’t mean just the friendship and fellowship I enjoy with my Brothers and Sisters in Christ.  And that is very special to me.  But, I mean the importance of those people that I consider the “Aaron and Hurs” in my life.

I pray that everyone has those prayer warriors that will stand on either side of you and help you “hold your arms up” as you battle and press through until you achieve what the Lord is calling you to do during this time.  Moses held the staff of God in his hand.  I believe he had God’s anointing and authority to win the battle…but he needed help to achieve victory.

I am so humbled as I have seen the Lord place one and then another beside me as I need the extra support to be obedient in His plans for me.  I can feel their prayers and support holding me up when I begin to feel weak and overwhelmed.  I can feel their strength added to mine as I battle those forces that would try and stop God’s will from being manifested in my life.

Brothers and Sisters!  We ALL need to join together as the Body of Christ and support and strengthen each other through the power of the Holy Spirit!  God’s strength is multiplied as we come together in love and unity to bring about His will and purpose upon this earth.  Battles are won as we line-up side by side, arms linked, focusing on the Lord and His plans for the moment.  Let’s not get so caught up in the “big picture” that we miss what He wants us to achieve in the next moment!  As we face each battle together…walking under the Lord’s Banner…we will see VICTORY!!  Hallelujah!

I humbly say “Thank you” to all those that are my “Aaron and Hurs.”  I can’t do it without you…

And I pray that I can be YOUR Aaron and Hur as the Lord uses you to achieve VICTORY in His kingdom!

OCCUPY THE TERRITORY!

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I was stopping by Walmart for a quick trip to pick up a few items before heading for home. As I was getting my last few purchases, I began to push my cart and saw a face I hadn’t seen in over 3 years.  I smiled and said my, “Hi, how are you doing?” expecting to get a response of “Fine!” and moving on.

But, the Lord had other plans!  As she began to walk towards me I knew that I was to connect with this precious Sister in Christ.  She was hungry for conversation…but that was not why the Lord had me there.  She began to share about how she was raising her 4 grandchildren and her exhaustion was evident in her voice and in her countenance.

As I was quiet and allowed her to share all that was on her heart, I found myself drawn to her commitment to these grandchildren.  She poured out her love and time to help them with their homework…with carrying them to and from activities…with making sure they had good meals on the table…and with making sure they knew the Lord.

As she continued to talk, she came to a point of asking me to pray for her youngest grandchild who was having trouble in school.  Her voice faltered and I could see the tears threatening to fall down her cheeks.

I told her that when I get a request to pray, I like to pray right then.  I asked her if we could pray for him right now and reminded her that God hears us whether we have our eyes closed or open.  She immediately responded with an enthusiastic nod of her head.

We looked into each other’s eyes as I began to pray for her grandson and finished by praying for her too.  And this time the tears did spill over as she felt the touch of God!  I’m sure that many looking on just thought we were having a conversation…although I did see a few who seemed to take more than a passing interest in what was going on.

Were they looking because they saw her tears?  Were they looking because we had stopped our carts and were not in any hurry to move on?  Or perhaps they glanced our way because they heard the name of the Lord!

As we parted our ways, she reached over and said, “I don’t think our meeting was a coincidence!” And of course I agreed.  God is always ready to connect us with those who are hurting…with those who need encouragement…with those who need prayer…with those who need to feel His presence and love.

What a blessing to be used by the Lord for His glory!  May we join with Him to be His voice and His body upon this earth!  Brothers and Sisters, let’s occupy the territory He has positioned us in and spread His Love wherever we may be!  We can make a difference!  Are you ready?

LENT 2016 – My Prayer For You

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As we journey together through this season of Lent…my prayer for you is Ephesians 1:17-19 CEB:

“I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation that makes God known to you. I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers…”

                                                   

BE STILL…

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I have noticed that this little bird has been camped out for 2 days in my bird feeder instead of flying off with it’s friends.  It wanted to stay where the food was.  As I watched it’s behavior, I realized an important spiritual lesson was unfolding before me.

Sometimes we need to “camp out” when we are being fed spiritually by the Lord.  How often do we read our daily Bible reading and then rush off to do other things with our friends?  Do we allow the Lord time to speak to us through His word?

Sometimes we need to commit to pray until we hear from the Lord.  Do we go through our prayer list and then stop…or do we wait…seeking to connect with the Great Intercessor?

Do we have a time set aside so we may simply sit (camp out) in the Lord’s presence…to pour ourselves into Him and let Him pour Himself into us?

I hear the Lord saying, “Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10

MAY WE BE ONE!

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As I began to awaken this morning from a deep slumber, I felt this prayer rising up within me:

Give me Your eyes, Lord, that I may see.

Give me Your ears, Lord, that I may hear.

Give me Your mouth, Lord, that I may speak.

Give me Your hands, Lord, that I may do.

Give me Your feet, Lord, that I may go.

Give me Your heart, Lord, that I may love.

When I went to my Bible, I found that my spirit and heart were agreeing in prayer with what Jesus prayed for all believers:

May they all be one,

as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.

May they also be one in Us,

so the world may believe You sent Me.

I have given them the glory You have given Me.

May they be one as We are one.

I am in them and You are in Me.

May they be made completely one,

so the world may know You have sent Me

and have loved them as You have loved Me.

John 17:21-23 (HCSB)