PRAYING FOR MY SPOUSE TO BE A GOOD STEWARD OF OUR RESOURCES

"What if we as couples were to live as if we truly recognized that God owns everything (Psalm 24:1), and our job is simply to manage and invest His resources for His purposes? How would that change our mind-set toward our bills, what we buy, where we eat, and what we do? How would we use our time differently? And how much joy and freedom would we experience if we remembered that our legacy in life and our reward in eternity depend not on our bank accounts but on the lives God touches through us?" Evan, T. (2016). Chapter 10, Resources. In 1042110467, 797252129 T. Evans (Author), Kingdom marriage: Connecting god's purpose with your pleasure (p. 123). Coral stream, IL, IL: Tyndale House.

Me and my husband are in a Couple's Sunday school class and we're currently reading "Kingdom Marriage" by Tony Evans. The quote above comes from the book. While posing the questions to myself are easy because I know the reason behind my answers, posing them to my spouse and having a discussion may not be so smooth. Why, you ask...because humans are selfish and stingy! Yep, I said it.

The very fact that Mr. Evans had to remind us that we really don't own anything and everything we have belongs to God, proves that point.  Our flesh nature is to hold onto things and not share.  To claim ownership and consequently, become slave to the things we "own" (house, car, credit card, etc.).  

The great "love" chapter in the bible (1 Corinthians 13) talks about what love is and what love means.  The New International Version (NIV) uses the word 'love', but the King James Version (KJV) uses 'charity'.  It's been said that you can't love and not give.  Giving shows love!

Dear Lord, I lift up my spouses heart and head to Your will concerning our resources.  We know that You are the source of all our resources.  We know that You are our true provider and everything that we have is because You have provided.  Great is Thy Faithfulness unto us!  I lift up every concern that my spouse may have about our resources.  Where they see lack, I ask that You give him/her peace in Your word that says, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Psalm 37:25).  Thank you for giving him/her a cheerful heart, so that he/she can give according to the riches You have bestowed on us.  In Jesus name, amen!

PRAYING SO I DON'T SLIP!!

"When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.   Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.  Whom have I in heaven but you?   And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.  But as for me, it is good to be near God.  I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds."  Pslams 73:21-28 (NIV)

The hardest thing to do, in my opinion, is to pray for someone that you feel has hurt you or betrayed you.  In our human/flesh state, we don't feel that the person deserves our prayers and if we're honest, oftentimes we want the total opposite of blessings for someone that has caused us pain.  The pain is deeper, the closer that person is to you or the more value put on the relationship.  There are many relationships that can cause pain in our lives, familial, friendships, even work relationships; but the one that can hurt the most is the marriage relationship.  Why?  It's because our spouse is the one person to whom we're most vulnerable.  Accordingly, our spouse is one person that can hurt us like no other.  So when that happens, our natural inclination is not to pray for them.  However, if you don't want to find your foot slipping and yourself headed for a fall; you must pray for them!  When we do good, despite the wrongs done to us; "...the Lord shall reward thee" (Proverbs 25:22).  Now when you read that scripture, it's talking about an enemy and I'm not saying your spouse is your enemy.  I AM saying that satan will have you believe your spouse is the enemy and that's why it's even more important that we combat the REAL ENEMY with the proper weapon.

Lord, I know that Your love is for everyone.  I know that even when/if I don't feel like loving my spouse; You still love them!  In my bitter and broken state, it is easy for me to yield to my flesh and not Your spirit.  If I'm honest Lord, I'm tired of going through the motions, but You have not given up on me, so I won't give up either.  You continue to hold me close, so I will continue to hold on.  I give You all my hurts and fear.  If pain is weakness leaving the body, as I am weak in your presence; I now know that You are taking the pain away and strengthening me.  Your word says, "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12).  Thank You Lord for never letting me go...never letting us go.  Amen!

My special love for you

I love you, My darling!  I loved you yesterday, I love you today, and I will love you always.

How do I love you?--I love you unconditionally.  I love you completely.  I love you eternally.  I love you like a father loves his child.  I love you like a husband loves his wife.  I love you tenderly.  I love you passionately.  I love you perfectly.

Why do I love you?--I love you because you are Mine.  I love you because you love Me.  I love you because you are beautiful in My sight.  I love you because you are a part of Me.

When do I love you?--I love you when you're in ecstasy, and I love you when you're in despair.  I love you when you're successful, and I love you when you feel you've failed.  I love you when you do what's right, and I love you even when you make mistakes.  I love you when you feel like giving up, and I love you when you hold on.

How long will I love you?--I will love you always and forever!

From Jesus With Love for Women


What stands out in this message to me, is the contrast of our love to Jesus' love!  For every way, reason and length of time this message uses to convey the Jesus' love for us (women), we have undoubtedly contradicted that love in some way.  Jesus' love for us is not hard to fathom or conceive, but us loving ourselves...well now the rubber is meeting the road.  Women have been deceived into believing that if/when they love themselves; they are being selfish, thoughtless and inconsiderate.

I will be transparent and say that I did not love myself every day this week.  I have not loved myself unconditionally and completely.  Not having my father around has left that void and I'm often suspicious of my husband's love.  I sometimes feel out of place in this world, so belonging to Jesus and loving Jesus should make sense, but recently I have even questioned that.  Jesus sees my beauty...why can't I?!?  He loves me when I'm up and when I'm down; when things are good and when they're bad, whether I'm happy or I'm sad.  So why can't I?

Dear Lord, open the eyes of my heart so that I may see me, the way that you see me.  Help me to love me for me.  Help me to love me in an unapologetic way.  I thank you for loving me and for all of the others in my life that love me.  I need to love myself...really love myself in order to reciprocate that love.  Just as the father said in Mark 9:24 "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief".  Lord I love You:  help thou my self-love!  Amen.

August 21 - Speech Therapy!

The best way to improve speech is to improve the heart, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).  A heart filled with the Holy Spirit and the truth of the Word of God will produce godly speech that brings life to the speaker as well as the listener.  This is where our point of prayer should begin.  (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)

As I sat in the waiting room of the speech clinic; I couldn't help but think of how far my little boy has come.  When he was initially diagnosed with autism, we were told that he "may never talk".  Although with much prayer and early intervention services, we have overcome that prognosis; we still have a long way to go!  A child with autism must do more than learn how to speak. The child also has to learn how to use language to communicate. This includes knowing how to hold a conversation. It also includes tuning into both verbal and nonverbal cues from other people -- such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language.  In other words, it's not enough for my son or other children with autism to learn the words; they also have to know what to say and when to say it...kinda like prayer!

Just as there are different ways to communicate (verbal, nonverbal, facial expression), there are different ways to pray (verbally, groaning, intercession, as the Holy Spirit gives utterance).  What I like about the scripture in Matthew 12:34 is that it says the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart.  This confirms the importance of a pure heart when speaking to others, especially when we're praying for someone.  Questions to ask yourself; (1) Who are you talking to?  (2) What are you talking about?

Heavenly Father, help us to keep our hearts pure so that our speech will be godly and bring life to our listeners.  Help our children to realize that once the words come out of their mouths, they can't be taken back.  Help us to guard our mouths so that no cursing, gossip, envy corrupt communication proceeds out of it and we can be an example to our children.  We want to be like You Lord, we want to speak life and life more abundantly.  In Jesus name, it is so!

August 11 - Harp music

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.  (Psalm 19:14)

The word meditation resonated with me so I decided to look it up!  It comes from a Hebrew word "higgayown" (pronounced hig·gä·yōn') which means "the murmur" or dull sound of the harp, hence, meditation.  This says to me that the sound of my heart should be like that of a harp.  What comes from my heart and prayerfully from the heart of my child, should sound like a harp.  Click on this link to hear some harp music, but be warned...it is addictive! 
http://youtu.be/ZWuXOrG7pkU?t=8s

The proper response to the work of salvation in our lives is a constant prayer that God will keep our hearts, words and lives free from sin and pleasing to him.  Both the meditation of our hearts and the reflection of our minds should be pleasing to God.  (Full Life Study Bible, Study Notes)  If nothing else, my heart song should reflect my thankfulness for salvation and the gift of eternal life.

The Bible says in Proverbs 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."  What would life be like for us if we were diligent about keeping our hearts?

Dear Lord, so many times we put emphasis on what comes out of our mouths and the murmur of our hearts go unchecked.  Father, we pray that our hearts and the hearts of our children produce melodies that are like a sweet aroma to You.  Reveal to us any areas of our hearts that need attention because we want to be acceptable in Your sight.  When we get our hearts right, aligned with Your will; we will receive the desires of our hearts because You promised it!  In Jesus name, Amen!

July 18 - Protect your gifts!

Because the enemy wants to use our children's gifts for his glory, or at the very least keep them from being used for God's purposes, we need to cover them in prayer.  Praying for the development of our children's God-given gifts and talents is an ongoing process.  (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)

We all want our children to live a prosperous and joyful life.  We want them to be happy and do well in whatever they set out to do...but how often do we pray over the gifts they're to use in order to get there?  God has given us all a gift and to some He has even blessed with multiple gifts.  The purpose of those gifts is that we use them to His glory and to uplift His kingdom.  I remember the night before my daughter was to sing her first solo at church, she had a terrible nightmare in which a snake wrapped itself around her and was attempting to choke her.  In the nightmare she was trying to scream but nothing came out.  However, the screams coming from her room were real and I went running to see what was wrong.   When she told me about what happened, I explained that it was the enemies way of trying to scare her because he knew that the song she was going to sing would bless someone and the only way to kill that snake was to be sure to sing with her strongest voice tomorrow...she did and has been singing every since.  I realized then the importance of praying over God's gifts.

Every good and perfect gift comes from God, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Romans 8:28-29, KJV

Predestination means "to decide beforehand" and applies to God's purposes comprehended in election.  Election is God's choice "in Christ" of a people (the true church) for himself.  Predestination comprehends what will happen to God's people (all genuine believers in Christ).  Election and Predestination, Full Life Study Bible Article, pg. 1824

 

What does all this mean?  It means that just as God has purposed; the enemy has plotted!  The enemy knows that if all of God's children use their gifts and talents for God's purpose and for God's kingdom; his reign will be cut short.  Therefore, his scheming and conniving ways are to try to pervert our God-given gifts or even worse deceive us into not using them at all.  Isaiah 14:24 says, 

"The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:" and this is why the devil is scurred!!!

 

Heavenly Father, we commit to praying over each and every gift You've bestowed upon us.  We submit our children's gifts to you and we pray their submission to what You've purposed for those gifts.  If he/she is a dancer; we pray that every movement minister to You; if he/she plays an instrument, we pray that the music produced is melodic to You; if he/she is a great speaker, let their words spread the gospel; if he/she is an athlete, we proclaim that regardless of how many trophies acquired they will not give Your glory to any graven image.  We seal the gifts of our children in the purpose You have designed, according to Your will for their lives.  In Jesus name, Amen!

 

 

June 28 - Take me to the King!

People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  (Mark 10:13-15 NIV)

Receiving the kingdom of God like a child means accepting it in a simple, humble, trustful and wholehearted manner so as to turn from sin and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, and God as your heavenly father.  Christ is deeply concerned about the salvation and the spiritual upbringing of children.  Christian parents should use every means of grace available to bring their children to Christ, for he longs to receive them, love them and bless them.  (Full Life Study Bible Study Notes)

What an awesome vision to take our children to Jesus for Him to touch them!  That's exactly what we do when we pray for our children.  We would do ourselves and our children good if we would heed what Jesus said, "do not hinder them".  Sometimes we hinder our children because even though we pray for them; even though we take them to the King...we don't leave them there!!!  We have not released them and therefore, we are hindering them from receiving the touch from Jesus.  Truth be told, we do the same thing with a lot of stuff we pray about...we take it to the altar in prayer, but before we leave the altar we reach back down and pick that thing up again basically saying, "SIKE, that's alright Jesus I think I can handle this one".

Father, there is great peace and tremendous rest in your presence.  Help us to appreciate that place of solace and embrace it.  Help us to release our children in that place knowing that there is no better place for them to dwell.  We will not hinder healing by holding on; we will not hinder deliverance by doubting; we will not hinder maturity by monitoring results; we will not hinder faith by failing to completely trust the process.  In Jesus name, Amen!

June 17 - Tell the truth...shame the devil

Children will lie at one time or another.  The question is not if they will, but whether or not lying will become something they believe they can get away with.  If we don't teach our children what God says about lying, they won't know why it's wrong.  If we don't pray about this issue now, there will be bigger issues to deal with later.  (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)

I have a cd by a Gospel rap group called R.O.A.R and in one of their songs there's a line that says something like, "in order for a person to lie, they had to have first known the truth".  As I tend to be a very analytical person; that statement has stuck with me for years...even helping me with forgiveness where a lie is concerned.  A lie is "a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood.  Synonyms:  prevarication, falsification.  Antonyms:  truth."  Deceit is "the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating".  It's crucial and critical for us to know the truth, live the truth and teach our children the importance of truth.  I've always told my children to tell me the truth, regardless of whether they think the truth will hurt me and no matter what they think the consequences are because telling the truth will help them in the long run; they've even avoided punishment simply by telling the truth (that may be the subject of another post).  The point being that when we tell the truth; we don't have to remember or rehearse it!  The truth was the truth yesterday; is the truth today and will be the truth tomorrow. 

Telling lies and even worse, believing lies, can definitely lead to bigger issues.  The bible is clear about both the truth and lies.  Proverbs 12:19 says, "The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment"; "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight" and John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).  As for lies...John 8:44 says, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

The real danger in letting lies go unchecked is that we risk God's delight in us and our life in Him, while consequently becoming entangled in the devil's web.  No matter how it looks; the truth (topped with love), is always best!

Lord, help us to always embrace and exhibit the truth in our lives and for our children.  Show us how to teach our children that the truth will set them free and even if they initially get away with a lie; it will come eventually come back...and probably when they least expect it.  We commit to knowing what Your word says about the truth and lies, so we will not be caught up and so that we can tell our children why lying is wrong.  We declare right now that any lie seeking to take root in our lives or the lives of our children is dug up, cut up and cast away in the name of Jesus!  We hold Your truth as self evident, Amen!  

June 13 - Nothing like family...gotta love them!

It's been said that the only relative you get to pick is your spouse.  Everyone else is either born to you, you're born to or they're part of the family because of someone else...you didn't get a say-so in the matter.  It's probably for the best because if you're like me, you would probably not be related to some of your kinfolk.

The people closest to us are always the ones that hurt us most and it's because we give them so much of our love, time and space.  We trust them, we sow into them, we help them, but is it out of love or obligation?  If it's out of love; it should be unconditional, without strings or record.  If it's out of obligation, we're only setting ourselves up for drama and pain.  The best thing to do is to pray that God give you the capacity to love as He loves.  Think about the fact that God knew how the world would treat His son and yet He still sent His son to die for us while we were yet sinners. 

Heavenly Father, forgive us for not loving one another as true brothers and sisters.  Help us to realize that our children learn how to treat one another by what they see us doing.  Thank you for reminding us that we are to serve You and strive to do your will, especially to the family You've given us.  Your words says that we will be "betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.  Everyone will hate you because of me.  But not a hair of your head will perish.  Stand firm, and you will win life (Luke 21:16-19).   We declare that we will do better and our children will not witness or be sucked into dysfunction.  In Jesus name, Amen!

June 11 - For my good!!!

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  (Romans 8:28, New Living Translation)

I had an appointment at 6pm today and had planned my route to the minute, however; I ended up being late...which may have saved my life.  I couldn't leave until my husband got home and he had stopped at the grocery store.  Somewhat rushed, I hurried out of the house and proceeded on my way to my appointment.  I was coming around 70West approaching the Livingston Avenue exit when the traffic started slowing abruptly.  Looking ahead, I could see that the traffic was at a standstill past the exit so I changed lanes to exit at Livingston.  With a little detour, I was able to reenter the highway at the Miller on ramp and that's when I saw the accident.  There were three cars involved, one fairly damaged, another smashed up pretty good and spun around facing east from the impact, and then the final car which was so badly crumpled it looked like a crushed soda can. 

I thought about the fact that had I left when I planned to leave; I could have very well been right in the  midst of this accident...and then I felt grateful.  I was slightly irritated with my husband for going to the grocery store and tacking on a few extra minutes to my commute...but if he had been on time and I had left on time...and then I felt grateful. 

Thank you Father for keeping me from danger seen and unseen!  Thank you for orchestrating my path today and moving me at just the right pace.  The lesson in this was not just for me, but to me because You showed me that even when I can't see or know what's in my path...You do and the same is true for my children!  You are all-seeing and all-knowing and even when I forget to pray or when I'm not specific with my prayer for my son/daughter; You still hold the world in Your hands.  I know that all things work together for my good and for my children's good.  We love You and we embrace Your purpose for our lives.    #GRATEFUL  In Jesus name, Amen!

May 25 - Blessed in the city; Blessed in the field!

Lord, as my child learns to pray, may he/she also learn to listen for Your voice.  May there always be a Holy Spirit fire in his/her heart and an unwavering desire for the things of God.  (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)

Just because we hear something, doesn't mean that we're listening! Have you ever had someone talking to you and your mind is elsewhere?  So much so, that even though the person is standing right in front of you, you have to ask him/her to repeat what they just said...because you weren't listening. 

Too often, when we pray; we go to God with our list of requests, give Him our time frame, thank Him (because we KNOW He's going to do what we asked) and then we go on our merry way.  But how often do we listen to hear His voice?  The first line of Ms. Omartian's prayer says so much about what's important in the process of praying.

Deuteronomy 28:1-3 says, "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:  And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.  Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.  "The blessing of God is conditional.  God's people must make a choice:  either blessing through obedience or cursing through disobedience (Deuteronomy 30:15-18; Jeremiah 7:5,7)".  (Full Life Study Bible, Study Notes)

Heavenly Father, give us an ear to always hear AND LISTEN to your voice.  In Jesus name, Amen! 

May 22 - What's your testimony?

Blessed are they that keep His testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.  Psalm 119:2

As I was leaving the post office today, a woman said to me; "I like your license plate"(I thought she was going to compliment my locs!).  She went on to say, "it says TESTIMONY right?"  I have personalized license plates that read 'TSTIMNY' and when I confirmed that she had read them right; she said something to me that change the outcome of my day and possibly my life...she said, "what's your testimony?" 

I jokingly said to her, "oh, you don't have enough time for me to tell it all" and she responded, "well maybe hearing just a little bit will bless me today".  Really God?!?  As I shared a condensed version of all that God has done for me, another woman came over and asked us what church we attended because she overheard us talking about the "blood of the lamb".

When I left the post office, I thought about all the things that God has done in my life, with my life and through my life.  I thought about the things I used to do, places I used to go and people I used to hang out with that I don't even see anymore (and y'all know Columbus is not that big).  I thought about the things that could've happened and didn't, as well as the things that did happen and instead of the worst, God allowed me to use the situation for His glory and even to bless someone else.  I thought about my health and strength; my healed heart from an absent father; my marriage to a wonderful husband, in spite of having daddy issues; my children, who are not perfect but they're mine and they're here; my family (as crazy as they are) that will rally around me at the slightest hint of hurt in my voice...excuse me for a minute while I give Him glory....THANK YA, THANK YA, THANK YA!!!!  I had to stop thinking about it because I was on my way to an appointment and didn't want to pull over on interstate 70 west.  The point is, at any given time, we should all be able to give a testimony to the goodness of the Lord.  We should be a witness for the kingdom.  What's your testimony?

Thank you Father for all the blessings You've bestowed upon me!  For deliverance, healing, provision, promises kept, hearing my prayers, keeping my children, watching over and protecting us from dangers seen and unseen, for strength made perfect in my weakness, for helping me up when I fall, for the full armour of God and the fruit of Your Spirit.  There is so much more You require of me and I will no longer fall short.  To whom much is given, much is required...I will seek You with my whole heart.  #WITNESS  In Jesus name, Amen!

May 20 - Benefits of Life in the Spirit

Start right now by praying for your child to fear God, have faith in Him and His Word, and develop the kind of heart that seeks after Him.  This could be the determining factor in whether your child will have a constant struggle living in the flesh or be fulfilled and blessed living in the Spirit.  (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)

This is what the bible says about "Living in the Spirit".

Life in the Spirit

8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ² And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. ³ The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.  So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. ⁴ He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.  ⁵ Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. ⁶ So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. ⁷ For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. ⁸ That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.  ⁹ But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) ¹⁰ And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. ¹¹ The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.  ¹² Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. ¹³ For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.  ¹⁵ So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.  Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

The Future Glory

¹⁸ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ¹⁹ For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. ²² For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. ²⁴ We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. ²⁵ But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)  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. ²⁷ And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ²⁹ For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

³¹ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.  ³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.  ³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

AMEN!

May 15 - Heavy Heart

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.  ⁸ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters^[b] all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.  ¹⁰ In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. ¹¹ All power to him forever! Amen.  1 Peter 5:7-11 (NLT)

It's been said that after every mountain top experience; there will be a valley!  On Monday of this week; I woke up feeling anxious...almost in a panic.  Now why would this be, if I was just getting up from a peaceful sleep?!?  I'll tell you why, because the devil was on the prowl...he always is!  If there's one thing I can say about satan is that, he is always on his job!  He does not get tired and he does not take a break.  He is serious about his mission because he knows his time is short.  If only we were as committed to our ministries and missions...

Today I found out that my friend's son was swimming, pulled under by a current and after rescue attempt presumed dead.  In my mind, I can't stop asking WHY?  Why this family? Why my friend, who is so devoted, giving and loving to her children? Why this way, with so many questions?  And then I was reminded of another time that God allowed us to walk through a similar situation with another couple that lost a child.  What we didn't understand then (and truthfully I still don't grasp it all), we now accept as the sovereign will of God.  I pray that we hold onto the promise in 1 Peter 5:10 that "after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation."

Father God, we know that Your thoughts are not our thoughts and Your ways are not our ways, so help us Lord to return to the safe place of Your will.  Your word says "Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you...", so Lord, we draw nigh to you and ask You to draw us in and hold us close.  We need a place of refuge today, to renew, refuel and replenish as we go through.  I ask that you comfort my friend and her family, give them peace and closure.  We know you're able!  In Jesus name, Amen!

May 12 - The War for Your Seed!

 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.  ¹⁴ And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.  ¹⁵ And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  ¹⁶ And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.  ¹⁷ And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  (Revelation 12:13-17)

The twelfth chapter of Revelation reveals a vision that offers insight into a different side of motherhood.  The revelation of satan's anger with the woman for bringing for a male child (who represents Jesus) and her 'seed'.  The word 'seed' comes from a Greek word sperma pronounced spe'r-mä that means (a) the product of semen, children, offspring. (b) family tribe, posterity (c) whatever possesses vital force or life giving power.  The seed has the ability to produce more fruit, which in turn will have another seed(s) to produce even more.  The devil knows that "he has little time " because of the woman's seed "who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."  He knows that his fate lies in the remnant seed! 

Heavenly Father, you have provided a place for us, even in the wilderness, so that we do not have to endure the face of the serpent.  Help us to discern that the enemy will do any and everything he can to distract from praying protection over our seed.  There is promise, purpose and power in our children and this is why the devil is at war with us and them.  Nevertheless, we rejoice that whom You've called, You've also justified!  We know that Jesus has already defeated the devil from the cross and all we have to do is stand.  We declare that we've got our war clothes on and we're reporting for duty.  Our seed shall go forth and prosper, they shall keep the commandments of God.  In Jesus name, Amen!

May 11

In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.  For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.  Taste and see that the Lord is good.  Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!  Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.  Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.  Psalm 34:6-10 (NLT)

My grandfather was a man of few words, but when he did speak it was like E. F. Hutton...everybody listened.  His very presence could change the atmosphere of the room.  We loved him because of the security, love, strength, wisdom, protection and stability within him.  No matter what the situation, we all knew that with that gentle smile, when Paw Paw said, "it'll be alright"...it was already alright!

Just as we have this reverence and refuge in the natural, God wants us to accept the same spiritual from Him.  When we fear or reverence the Lord, we should do so with the understanding of who He is and the authority He has.  We reverence the Lord because He is holy and faithful and He is not slack concerning His promises.  And when we reverence Him, we can cast our cares on Him!  He will hear and answer our prayers. 

Lord we love and reverence you, because of who you are!  There are so many promises and benefits of knowing You for ourselves and recognizing that we have all we need in You.  We will put our trust in You and we will lack no good thing...our children will lack no good thing...it's already alright.  In Jesus name, Amen!

May 8 - THIRSTY!!!

Fearing God means having a deeply committed respect, love and reverence for God's authority and power.  It means being afraid of what life would be like without Him and being grateful that because of His love we'll never have to experience such despair.  It means hungering for all that God is and all that He has for us.  (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)

Those who profess to know God need to examine themselves by asking the following:  Do I really possess a strong desire for God and his presence in my life?  Or do I go through life largely consumed with secular pursuits and worldly entertainment, while prayer, Bible reading, and a deep hunger and thirst for God and his righteousness have little place or vitality in my life?  (Full Life Study Bible, Study Notes)

As we go through life, it's easy to get caught up in life and all of life's distractions.  We have our family responsibilities, jobs, ministry, our social media cliques, our fraternities and sororities, etc. etc., but our commitment and focus should be on the author of our faith and giver of life.  There is no way I could live without God in my life!   His word teaches, guides and directs me, His Spirit counsels, comforts and sustains me!  

Psalm 63:1-3 says; "You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.  ² I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.  ³ Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you."  In Jesus name, it is so!  

May 7

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. ¹⁰ Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. ¹¹ Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.  ¹² Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.  Romans 12:9-12 (New Living Translation)

"Hate what is wrong" and "hold tightly to what is good"!  It is not enough for God's children to love righteousness; they must also hate evil.  In order to be successful in this regard; we must be able to separate the evil from the evil doer.  The bible is not telling us to hate anyone, but we should hate evil and sin.  Even when Jesus was on the cross; I believe that He hated the evil that was done to him but not necessarily the persons committing the evil.

Our children must know that it is not wrong for them to hate what is wrong.  Some of their so-called friends may challenge them for taking a righteous stand against evil, but there is no gray area with evil...you either love it or hate it.  James 4:3-5; "...don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God".  Hmmm...friends with the world (evil), makes me an enemy of God (who hold the world in His hands); I'll take God for eternity Alex!

Lord, we desire to be righteous and therefore we must hate those things that are contrary to You.  Help us recognize the evil, the root, the spirit, the principality that tries to come against us, give us wisdom to discern it and let us utilize Your armor to combat it.  We will not allow our children to be deceived or made to feel guilty about hating what is wrong.  We choose, this day, whom we shall serve!  In Jesus name, Amen! 

May 6 - "My child would never..."

When I worked in the judicial system there were certain 'buzz' words that a judge would use to let you know things were serious.  Words like 'recidivism', which means repeated or habitual relapse , as into crime.  Often the word recidivism was used to demonstrate the likelihood of an offender to repeat a crime.  Unfortunately, by running to defend our children so much, we have set them up for recidivism with sin.

Being a PTO officer at both of my sons schools; I have encountered a few parents that are quick to come to the defense of their child, even without getting the whole story.  I understand that as a parent it is important for my child to feel that he/she can come to me with any issue their facing and have confidence that it will be handled to the best of my ability.  The challenge comes, when we decide to take the reigns of righteousness, disregard and look down on everyone else involved.  When we're combative with everyone else and we don't question our child's responsibility in a matter; we give them the perception that they do not have to be held accountable for what they've done.  There are always three sides to every story; yours, mine and the truth!

I thought about a part of scripture that says, "...Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment," because we will often think more highly of our children than we ought.  I remember one day when I went to my 8yr old son's school to pick him up and his teacher told me that he used profanity in class.  She could hardly tell me what he said because she was laughing so much at the fact that he had used it correctly.  Normally I would have been  horrified, but he had used the same word the night before at home (I won't say where he got the word from) and I thought I surely had heard him wrong.  Now I could have come off in a righteous way and took the "not my child" approach, but instead; his teacher and I talked about it productively and enjoyed a laugh at his directness...still hoping it was just random.  *sigh*  We have to make sure that we parent our children in a way that encourages them to accept responsibility for their sin so that he/she does not fall into recidivism.

God, Your word says that if our brother sins seven times in a day, we should rebuke him and if he repents, we should forgive him seven times.  While we're thankful for forgiveness; we declare that our children will not habitual sinners taking grace for granted.  Not my child!  In Jesus name, Amen!!

May 4 - What's your GPA?

One of the greatest influences in our children's lives will be their friends and role models.  How can we not pray about them?  (Power of a Praying Parent, Stormie Omartian)

A few years ago, Pastor Keith Troy said something to our youth and young adults that I've never forgotten.  I can't remember if the occasion was Graduation Sunday or not, but he challenged them to not only consider their GPA (Grade Point Average), but to also be very concerned about their Spiritual GPA (God Peers Academics).  It was profound then and it's still profound now!

As believers, we should teach our children about God and model a relationship with Him that they can/will receive.  When it's time for them to attend school, we should develop a "team" with their teachers, principal and anyone else involved in the education process.  We need to keep the lines of communication open regarding their academic achievement and encourage them throughout their school years.  However, when it comes to 'Peers', we can sometimes fall short.  We don't always pray for and over who interacts with our children, on their level, and it's absolutely necessary!  Even more important is that our children grasp the depth of their Spiritual GPA.  While their Academic GPA  may be used to rank them in school; their Spiritual GPA will be used to rank them in life.

Father, Your word says that we should seek first "the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."  These things are what you already know we have need of and have promised to provide.  So Lord, we pray that our children will greatly consider the weight of their Spiritual GPA, keeping Your first always.  Let them seek You about their peers...whom they should entertain and whom they should dismiss.  Give them what they need to accomplish the academic achievement before them for the purpose You've placed on their lives.  What we pray in secret, our Father sees in secret and He shall reward openly.  All the glory belongs to You, oh God!  In Jesus name, Amen!!!