Faith

Prayer for Election Discernment and Faith

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Dear God,

You know where I am in this election. You know where I am, because I have been crying out to you for discernment and understanding for months. You know where I am, because you know everything about me, including who I may vote for, even before me or either of the candidates were born.

Lord, I ask that you continue to grant me discernment, even to the point of changing my vote, if that is Your will. You, Father, are the only one I trust and You, Father, are the only one in Heaven and on Earth who knows how this election will end.

We just started the Book of Daniel in our Bible reading plan and I can’t stop thinking about Daniel’s three friends in the fire. I can’t stop wondering how different the response of many Christians might be if they entered the extreme heat of this election with the hearts and faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. If they leaned in and listened carefully to what the three said as they were about to be bound and thrown into an intense furnace that no human could survive without supernatural help.

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. BUT EVEN IF he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

BUT EVEN IF. What a powerful statement in its own right. These three trusted God no matter what and come what may! These three had a faith that would not only save their own lives but would cause the King of a pagan nation to decree that “the people of any nation or language who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

What if all Christians would respond to the challenges of our government, its parties, and the election in the same way. Can you imagine the many ways that God can use us to His Glory?

One of the biggest differences between some of us and Daniel and his three friends is they were respectful of the King and the ruling authorities without compromising their faith. As a result, that King saw the power of God for himself and made sure everyone in all the nations knew it.

Lord, help us all to have this kind of faith and let us be the vehicles through which you show Your Glory to the world. Let us have respect for our government even when we do not agree. Let us go about our lives praying and living in FAITH in You; help us to go about our lives in the JOY of the LORD and let YOUR GLORY shine through us. Help us all to realize we don’t have to be bitter or divisive and we certainly don’t have to be obstinate and obnoxious, participating in name calling and dehumanizing any candidate or the supporters of that candidate.

The lies and the gossip have been relentless, and I know very displeasing to You, Lord.  I know in my heart of hearts that this does not glorify You, My dear sweet Father in Heaven. I also know you do not need any of us to fight your battles for You, and certainly not in ways that are not reflective of You or Your Son.

Father, please give us discernment and then ignite a fire in us that burns as hot as the furnace from which You saved your servants. Ignite a fire in us that causes us to pray for our government and leaders who YOU have put in place and for those that are in a race to ascend to the oval office. Both are humans and both can turn to YOU and be used by YOU for the betterment of our nation and our world, but most of all for YOUR GLORY. Remind us Lord that, with You, our FUTURE is secure, and our job is to follow you and be the hands and feet of Jesus, showing the world YOUR love through FAITH.

It is in the mighty name of Jesus, I pray. Amen and Ehmen.

When unfaithfulness and disloyalty meet love.

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Tears streamed down my face, my only comfort a pillow on which I should never have laid my head. I was guilty and convicted to my core.

I arose from the bed and walked out the door, beginning the proverbial walk of shame.

I had been unfaithful. I knew the one to whom I had committed my life loved me like no one or nothing else on earth ever could. He gave me absolutely everything I ever needed.

And, yet, I had been unfaithful. I turned my head and prostituted myself to pride, to fleshly desires and flashy material things. I looked for pleasures amongst crumpled bed sheets and popular society idols.

I may as well have spit in his face, this one with no agenda other than a vow to love me and exist within my heart forever.

As I walked towards the place I called home, the chatter in my head grew louder and louder. “Your actions are unforgivable,” a convincing voice said. “He will never take back someone like you.”

The voice was right.

Or so I thought.

As I trudged up the driveway of my house, each step was as heavy as my heart. I was ashamed and convinced that the one I had betrayed would be inside, fuming with anger and plotting my demise. Or, worse yet, he would be nowhere to be found.

I could take the anger and even my own demise; after all, it is exactly what I deserved. Heaven help me, how could I bear stepping foot in an empty house which used to be a loving home?

With mascara running down my face creating what looked like the prison bars of the cell that now encaged my soul, I walked up the steps and put my hand on the doorknob. I took a deep breath and opened the door. What happened next knocked me to my knees.

There he stood in front of me. In our home. He had been waiting for me throughout the dark of night and into the morning light. He stared at me intently as he rushed toward me and outstretched his hand. I impulsively braced myself, bringing my arm up in front of my face to lessen the blow.

But my arm didn’t stop him in the least. He reached down, cupped my elbow, and pulled me to my feet, standing so close I could feel his breath and hear his heartbeat. Both were slow and rhythmic as he wrapped me in his arms and whispered in my ear, “I have missed you so much. Welcome Home, Child.”

By now, you know this did not actually happen, but it is, instead, the vision that came to me while reading from the Book of Hosea earlier today. In all actuality, this is my testimony and the testimony of all of us

who have ever lost our way and fallen prey to our own flesh. And, ultimately, it is the story of all humankind since Adam and Eve took a bite of the apple.

I truly feel this in the deepest way. I know that I know, I, for one, have spent far too much of my life looking for the ideal love in people, careers and material things that would fill a great void in my life. A void I finally figured out could only be filled by the God who has been pursuing me with relentless passion from day one.

I don’t deserve His love or the countless gifts that he bestows upon me. I don’t deserve his unswerving loyalty in the face of my disloyalty and his unconditional love in the face of my own wandering.

And, yet He is always waiting with arms wide open, not just for me, but for every single one of us.

He is our God and He deserves all the love, the worship, and the praise.

 Amen and Ehmen

It’s in the lows that our faith can really grow

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I love this rhythm—reading God’s Word everyday in chronological order.

I love these Psalms—the Psalms of David, written while he was on the run from King Saul.

I feel like I’m sitting on a rock nearby and watching and listening as David pours out his heart to God.

So much of David’s life seems to be for the benefit of others; to help others see God at work on their behalf, but this time is just for him and God. With no one of like heart to talk to, this time is rich in purpose for David and, of course, the readers of The Word later in history.

The big miracles are a beautiful display of God’s power, but it is in the quiet times where we may feel alone where our faith is often tested and the real growth happens. It is in those times that the relationship with God grows and cements itself in our hearts.

Life is made of highs and lows. It’s our job to make the most of both and praise Him through it all.

Remember how Mary stored away details of the miracle of Jesus’ birth which she later recalled and it gave her strength after her beloved son died on the cross?

That is what I think we are supposed to do. Store up the “highs” to strengthen us in the “lows,” for it is in the lows that our faith really grows.

Are your GIANTS too big to defeat or too big to miss?

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As we walk with the Israelites to the borders of the Promise Land in our chronological Bible plan, the thing that stands out to me is that this same land of “milk and honey” is also a land of literal giants.

Aside from the story of David and Goliath, the church as a whole doesn’t seem to spend a lot of time on the subject of giants. However, it would explain a lot.

Sit with me for a moment. The King of Og was reported to be upwards of 13 1/2 feet tall. To put that in perspective, the average American ceiling height is 8-9 ft and the average doorway is less than 7 feet! Also, from what I can see, the height of Israelite men back in those days was 5’5” if they were lucky.

I have been very interested in this aspect of biblical history and find it believable that these people inhabiting what has been referred to as the “land of giants” are a product of the fallen angels or Nephilim mating with humans, making them all demonic beings.

In my opinion, we simply have to recognize the importance of fighting giants—Whether the Bible storybooks record the fact that Joshua led Israel into the land of giants or not. The fact is, it is a pattern throughout Scripture. In addition to the battles the Israelites faced as they stood on the fringes of the Promise Land, we would be amiss not to note that war against giants continues through to the end of the Bible. We all know the particular story of David and Goliath, but it must also be seen as part of a larger, ongoing war on giants.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ bound “the strong man,” and His life and death is not an example of a godly giant fighting a man-sized devil. No, Christ instead became one of us,and bound and defeated the Goliaths of that age.

And with Christ we can do the same.

1 John 4:4

Fortunately, our giants are more of the metaphorical breed, but the principals taught to the Israelites as they entered the Promise Land stands true for us. It all comes down to faith.
I read something earlier today that I absolutely love. It goes like this:

“Unbelief says that the giants are too big to defeat. Faith says that giants are too big to miss.”

Give us this day our daily bread…

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Regarding Exodus 16-18: I often wondered how a people who were experiencing God’s miracles first hand could possibly complain about anything.

But then I remind myself that anybody can be a Monday morning quarterback.

Their grumbling was not a surprise to God, and it shouldn’t be to us as we are experts at it as well.

How often do we take the time to thank God for what we have? For a roof over our heads, for food we eat, for a car, for an income? How often do we stop to realize that, on the income scale, if we make minimum wage (which equates to $7.25 an hour or $15,080 a year), we would already be in the top 10% of global income. In fact, we would be in the top 7.8% of income earners worldwide. Lord knows I always want more $ecurity.

The fact is that we are human and humans tend to always want more. Think back to the Apple in the garden.

God wants us to depend on Him everyday for our needs, because He knows how quickly we forget. That’s why we are taught to ask for daily bread as we wander in our own wilderness on the way to the Promised Land.

Give us this day our daily bread…

Indeed, I am as guilty as the Israelites who were busted out of Egypt by God’s own hand and the principles He was teaching them are the principles that we all need to etch upon our hearts.

Lord, help us to replace our grumbling with praise as it is hard to complain when we are giving you the gratitude and thanks You deserve. You KNOW what we need before we do. Help us to trust You and remember what we already have. A Father who loves us and will provide!

Amen and Ehmen

Peaceful Nights

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Photo Credit: Alice Blue of Aliceblue.com

Sometimes you just need to press pause on life.

Take a stroll in the night air. Sit on the porch and take in all the sounds. Marvel at the little flashes of green as the fireflies put on a ballet in the air about you.

Smell the honeysuckle growing wild just beyond the fence.

Listen as the crickets chirp in harmony with all the other creatures of the night assigned to keep watch on the world as most of us wind down and enter the land of sleepy slumber.

I understand for some, the dark brings fear and evil. But, for me, at this time in my life, the night brings me peace.

Sweet sounding peace. Heavenly protection.

I haven’t always felt safe and protected, but oh what a sweet feeling now that I do. I no longer fear the dark or the unknown like I did for so long, because I now have an eternal night light living inside of me and a God that has promised—and proven Himself time and time again—to always protect and cherish me.

If you know God, I hope you will take some time tonight to feel His great love for you. And, if you don’t know Him, I hope you will take some time to seek Him. I promise you that you will never, ever regret it.

May you all have a blessed week and a happy summer of peace-filled days and nights. Much love and many blessings to you all.

Amen and Ehmen

Hugs from Heaven

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It’s a beautiful spring day. The temperature is perfect, not too warm and not too cool. I came outside to try and see if my mama’s hummingbirds had made it back this year, but my eyelids felt so heavy, I had to close my eyes.

Oh, the sounds of God’s creation. The sunshine brings out the most beautiful sounds from nature. It’s as if a new song is being composed as I listen. The beat is rhythmic, slow, and steady. It reminds me of our breath, when we are breathing as we are meant to. Inhale, 2, 3, 4; Hold, 2, 3, 4; Exhale 2, 3, 4.

There are two birds in the distance that seem to be vying for a soloist spot, but they wind up performing one of the most incredible duets ever. The rest of the birds in the neighborhood chime in like the perfect backup singers.

The wind blows gently, cooling my skin and playing a tune of its own on the many windchimes hanging on my back porch. The rustling of the wind through the palm leaves is incredibly soothing and the sun’s warmth on my face is like beautiful wrapping on the best gift ever. It feels like a sweet hug from Heaven, and I can’t imagine it getting any better.

But wait, what’s THAT sound? Is that a humming sound coming from the direction of the hummingbird feeder that hangs outside my mom’s old window? Could it be?

Yes!!! I opened my eyes to see that the first hummers of the season have arrived as if right on cue. I’m quite sure that some are my mom’s old friends, including her favorite blue/green little guy with the ruby throat. He and his friends look incredibly comfortable and familiar.

Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll make sure they always have plenty of fresh food. We miss you here on earth, but I’m thrilled you are now watching the show from the best vantage point ever!

My day, my week has been made. *Happy sigh.*

Friends, if you are stressed at all, I hope you will go outside and just drink it all in, if for only a few minutes. It’s almost physically impossible to be stressed and out of sorts when you let God and nature fill your soul and senses.

We are blessed.

Amen and Ehmen.

A Morning Prayer

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songbird

Photo by Donald M. Jones

 

Songbirds tweet in harmony as I willingly and excitedly step into the silence. Silence, after all, is the threshold that one must cross to enter the heavenly realms and the presence of our Precious and Mighty God.

His voice is clearest in the quiet, intimate times and it often seems as if I can hear His very heartbeat. His love for me is overwhelming and I pray that mine for Him is just as obvious and abounding.

As I breathe in His breath, I exhale peace and love. I’m here, Father. Use me. Send me. Heal me and equip me for the journey. Fill me with first trust, then with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

I want to be everything You created me to be; to accomplish all that You planned for me; and, at such time I enter Your Presence for the rest of eternity, to hear these words: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done.”

Amen and Ehmen.

 

Joy for the Generations

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As I walked along with my one-year-old granddaughter today, I was overwhelmed with love and gratitude. I am so thankful that God chose me, first, to be my baby girl’s mama and now this baby girl’s grandmama.

I see little pieces of many generations all melded together into one beautiful work of art. Each time I see the twinkle in her sparkling blue eyes and the joy that fills the room every time she smiles or giggles, I see the perfect blend of all the goodness of all the generations who came before her, all wrapped into one little bitty joy-filled package.

It makes me sad to know that, in this broken world that just continues to get more and more broken, it won’t be long before the enemy tries to snatch the joy from her. But, as her grandmother and a Christian, I pledge to do my part to help teach her that the joy of the Lord has nothing to do with what happens around us. In fact, the joy of the Lord abounds despite what happens. Hard stop. Read that again. The joy of the Lord abounds despite what happens.

Let me keep it real, though. Unfortunately, I’m not walking around emanating joy 24/7. I’m still a work in progress, too. I don’t always succeed at feeling or expressing the joy of the Lord when bad things have happened. Trust me, our family has had our fair share over the generations, and I used that as an excuse to not draw closer to God for many years.   

Thankfully, though, He makes a way to bring good out of whatever evil throws at us. He never gives up on us and that means He never leaves us. I have seen this so many times in my own life and that is why I am a full, devoted believer of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I need to experience things personally, and, mercifully, the Lord understands that and obliges. But it’s also good to take His Word for it to begin with.

The Bible says in its very first chapter, in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”

And, in Romans, 8:28, His Word says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good for those that love Him, to those that are called according to His purpose.”

Trusting the Words in scriptures such as these is what brings us the Joy of the Lord; an unyielding joy that

radiates from us, just like it does my one-year-old granddaughter; a joy not dependent on circumstances.

Lord, I praise your patience with me as I learn from and grow in Your Word and in the Holy Spirit. Thank you for never giving up on us and for pursuing each of us as if we were the only person on the planet. And thank you for the beautiful gift of family, children and grandchildren. May You always remain at the center of our lives and may Your joy follow us throughout our generation and the generations to come.

In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen and Ehmen.