Remember Us~

TGFGF-Thank God For Good Friday~

Today we will look at one final example about coming alongside someone, and Jesus once again is the Hero of the story.

Luke 23 contains the details of Jesus' crucifixion. We learn in verse 32 that two other men who were criminals were also going to be crucified. Verse 39 says one of the criminals "hurled insults at Jesus." But verses 40-42 paint a different picture of the other criminal.

“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

These two men represent the world today. There are two categories of people--those who want nothing to do with Christ, and those who realize their great need for Him. Has anyone ever told you you had something in common with a criminal? Well, I just did:)

But what I really really love about this passage is what Jesus answers him in verse 43: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”

So simple, really. No harsh words about a crime-filled life. No judgment, no condemnation, no criticism. The criminal genuinely wanted to be forgiven, and Jesus gave it. No questions asked.

Let's not gloss over this. Jesus was Himself in agony having just been nailed to that cross--depths of pain we will never comprehend, and yet, even in the midst of His suffering He takes a moment to reassure one of the poor lost souls next to Him.

Would anyone have blamed Him if He would have said, "I've got my own problems; I am busy saving the world?"

No, I wouldn't have.

This is such an inspiring story because it shows that even when we're going through a personal crisis, we can still come alongside others and offer words of encouragement. 

And when we do, amazing things happen.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Today we unite our voice with that forgiven criminal and say, "Remember us!" We look forward to being with You in Paradise. In the meantime, thank You that You are with us each step of the way on planet earth. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Drop Your Stones~

"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God." Philippians 1:3

What a beautiful verse that perfectly describes how I feel:)

Yesterday we saw how our trailblazing Jesus offered a woman something she desperately needed: Forgiveness and eternal life. In today's Bible story we see what it like for a real Man to take a stand.

John 8 tells the story of a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. She was brought before all the religious leaders and they, being so knowledgeable about religion (good for them!) actually picked up a bunch of rocks and stones and prepared to throw them at this poor soul.

Talk about ganging up on someone. Talk about being holier than thou. Talk about thinking you're better than someone. And by the way, where was the man she had been with? The Bible says he was no where in sight. Maybe he was at the back of the crowd with a stone in his hand. GAG ME!

So tragic...until Jesus shows up.

And what did He do? Very calmly, in the middle of that bloodthirsty crowd, He said the most precious words that woman had ever heard, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

Excuse me while I do a happy dance:) I love that Jesus didn't flinch. And He wasn't afraid to do what was right even though He was outnumbered.

Imagine the sound of all those folks dropping those stones. There would be no killing today--not on Jesus' watch.

And look at what He says to her at the end of the passage, "I do not condemn you, now go and leave your life of sin."

This is yet another perfect example of how to treat others. Come alongside and offer encouragement and even protection if necessary. Show concern for someone's soul--not nosiness about their sins. Keep your judgments to yourself. Keep your criticism to yourself. Keep your gossip to yourself. Empty your pockets of stones. But by all means, share Jesus.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Thank You that You show such tender love and concern for our souls. Jesus wanted that woman to leave her life of sin so she could be blessed. You want the same for us. Forgive us and open our eyes to our need for You that we might daily invite You to come alongside us. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Have a Little Drink~

Today let's look at a perfect example of what it means to come alongside someone, provided by the One and only JESUS! Whoop whoop!

John 4 tells the story of a Samaritan woman who came to draw water from the well. Jesus was there and He asked her for a drink. Sounds so simple except that (A) Jews back then did not associate with Samaritans, (B) Men did not speak to women & (C) In asking her to get him a drink of water, it would have made Him unclean to drink from a woman's cup.

But that's not the kicker! The real story lies in the fact that this woman had been married five times and was currently living with another married man. Not good not good not good! She was a social outcast. Honestly, how many friends do you think a woman would have if her reputation were that of a prolific adulteress? And yet...Jesus did not scream, yell, or condemn her to hell. He invited her to drink water from a Well that never goes dry and quenches our deepest needs for forgiveness and peace.

Verses 13&14
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

What do you think happened after that? Was the woman depressed? Upset? NO!!!! That life-giving water welled up inside of her, and empowered by her new-found forgiveness she went straight to the town and shared with all the people how her life had just changed. Skip down to verse 39 and it says that, "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony."

How does this story apply in 2013? It teaches us that we should cross cultural divides, be willing to speak to anyone and everyone, share with them without thinking we're better than they are because we aren't, and offer them our support and encouragement so they too are drawn to the Well. What can we expect as a result? Many will believe in Him because of the testimony of even one person who was treated with love and respect. As a footnote, let me just point out that Jesus was all about treating women with equal dignity and respect way before anyone else ever did. We serve a trailblazing Jesus! AMEN~

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Fill us today with that life-giving water. Thank You that we do not have to thirst for or long for joy, peace, and hope. It's ours already. We receive the "gushing fountains of endless life," that You offer us today. Help us bring those we love in closer for a little drink. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Come Alongside~

I have a message for you directly from Jesus: "Peace be with you." Luke 24:36

No matter where you are, right this very second, say, "I RECEIVE IT!" I can't hear you!!!

"I...RECEIVE...IT!!!!!!"

That's better~

Over the past several days I have noticed a trend among my buddies, and it's an excellent and beautiful one.

One of you lovely beings was talking with a buddy about some issues, and rather than criticize or give your high and mighty opinion, you talked it out and over and then you sent her some encouraging words that made a difference.

Another of you magnificent creatures has done about all you could possibly do to embrace and love and accept the young person dating one of your children--even nursing them back to health when they came down with an ear and throat infection--because this poor child can not depend on the biological parents.

And perhaps you knew this or maybe you didn't, but you are living out the life-affirming, life-giving gospel of our precious Lord and Savior.

This coming weekend we will all celebrate Easter. And way back when He died and rose again and prepared to ascend into Heaven, Christ told the disciples, "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever."

That Comforter, Who is also known as a Helper, Friend, Advocate, Counselor, and Redeemer, is the Holy Spirit. If we break it down, abide with you literally means Someone Who comes alongside and comforts, helps, advocates, counsels, and redeems.

This is really powerful stuff because what we have in a nutshell is how to live our lives. We are to come alongside those we love. We are not told to come at, attack, scream at, preach at, belittle, condemn, criticize, or accuse. We are encouraged to come alongside and help them work it out, just like the Holy Spirit does with us.

Those of you who have kids know that yelling doesn't work. Losing your temper doesn't work. Pointing a finger doesn't work. Sitting down next to them and taking their naughty little hand in yours and reaffirming your love for them as you escort them to time out does. Driving your teenager around for three weeks until they felt confident to get behind the wheel after a car accident does. Helping them type an assignment even though they waited until the last minute to do it does.

Think about a time when you came alongside someone you loved and helped them work through something as opposed to freaking out and making it worse.

Allow me to confess that I have not always done that myself. When I should have hugged someone and forgiven them, I yelled. When I should have done something for someone who was wearier than I, I retreated. Many many times I overreacted. But then, praise the Lord, there have also been many many times when I got it right.

One day when Rayray was five years old, she decided that the only solution to her problem was to run away. In her kindergarten mind, leaving her family was a more appealing option than staying and facing the consequences of a certain misbehavior. I went with her to her room and helped get her tiny pink Sesame Street suitcase down from the closet. And as we filled it with all the stuff she thought she would need, I knew she was waiting for me to beg her to stay. I did not. Instead, as she stood by the front door, I grabbed my suitcase and asked her where we were going to go. She was kind of shocked as she did not expect mommy to run away too. But God knows I would have if that's what would have been necessary.

To this day whenever I tell that story I get all choked up. It's not a picture of a mom coming alongside her baby that gets me. It's the fact that no matter what we do, Christ is alongside us--always.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Help us to live this out. We want always to come alongside those You put in our lives. Not browbeat them. We will need Your patience and goodness to flow through us as this is sometimes a very difficult thing to do. Thank You that You have enough strength for us all. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Nip it in the Bud~

When Hormone was eight years old, I became friends with another mom whose son played baseball with him. At first, everything was fine. She and I got along really well and enjoyed each other's company. The problem was that her little boy had a severe behavior issue. My kids were far from perfect, but honestly, they never once stared me right in the face and told me to "Shut up!" in public like my friend's son did to her again and again. The first time this happened I was too stunned to speak. But it was a regular pattern with this child, and one day he turned to my husband and told him to shut up in front of Hormone. That's about as close as Jorge ever got to slapping the chiggers out of another person's child. And I found myself in a dilemma: Do I end the friendship? Or do I stick around and try to help?

I ended the friendship. Shame on me:( But back then as a younger mom I was a little overwhelmed by it all and did not know what else to do. It hurt her tremendously. But if I could get a do-over I would have told her that in God's kindness, He let these things surface early so that we might have an opportunity to address them BEFORE things get out of hand. Plus, He would give her the best plan of action. Yet her life was defined by wasted opportunities. Not once did she correct her boy, and she was always making excuses for him. Things did not work out well for her family.

On the other hand, when Rayray was in kindergarten she quickly discovered that if she told the teacher she had a tummy ache, the teacher would call me and I would come running. At first I thought poor Rayray was destined to have a life of intestinal ailments. It truly wasn't until about the fifth time that it dawned on me that Rayray wasn't aching at all; she just wanted to go home. I did not know what to do to her, or say to her. I certainly did not want her to think that I thought she was straight out playing me. "Jesus," I whispered, "How can I get the point across that lying is dangerous?"

I did not want to ignore the matter, hope it would go away on its own, or overreact and alienate my baby. So God, Who promises in James 1:5 " But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give it to you...," answered my plea for help. The next time I picked her up early I told her the story of Peter and The Wolf. My version was more graphic, and it provided a detailed description of the wolf ripping poor little Peter's limbs apart one by one. I made my point, and little Miss Rayray was content to stay in school until 2PM like the rest of the children from that point on.

Every day we have a fresh start to get it right. The Bible is our guide to living, and we know He is here to help. Let's not waste any opportunities of our own to nip stuff in the bud. Let's ask God for the courage and wisdom to face things as soon as they arise.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Let's face it: We all need wisdom to handle our lives. Thank You that are generous in giving it, and we receive it right now in order to know what to say and what to do. Your wisdom is the best approach any of us could ever apply; we are grateful that You generously pour it out when we ask for it. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Jesus is the Way...~

"Good morning! You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, Beautiful inside and out! God be with you." Luke 1:28 (The Message)

What a lovely greeting straight out of God's Word!

Today I will share with you the truth that settled me down in the middle of one of the greatest struggles I faced as a mom. As you recall I was ranting and raving and walking around all herky jerky when suddenly our precious Lord whispered to my heart this verse.

John 14:16

"I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Ask Rayray and she will tell you that I transformed instantly. Suddenly it became very very clear to me that if Jesus is the Way, He can show anyone in our lives the way they should go If He is the Truth, then He can show those we love the truth about their lives so they can make wise choices. And if He is the Life, then He can give life and show those we love how to live.

All responsibility to change the person who was causing me such grief immediately left. Because, DUH!, I neither had the power to change them nor the responsibility. What a huge and liberating relief!

I promise I promise I promise that praying this verse will dramatically change the life of the one whom you are praying it over.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Your Word is so rich and powerful. I do my thing by praying and You do Yours by answering. I call upon Jesus now to show ________ the way. This person is headed in the wrong direction. Set them on course. Show _______ the whole truth so they make excellent and beautiful choices. And because You are Life, dear Lord, fill my life and the life of ______with yours so we can live in peace and blessings. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Before You Know It~

Before you know it...


I love it when a Bible verse really soothes one of your souls, and yesterday's verses did that. Let's go back for second helpings.

Philippians 4:6-9
6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Do that, and God, Who makes everything work together, will work you into His most excellent harmonies.

When we follow those verses above the end result is that God will work us into His most excellent harmonies. God's harmonies is another way of saying that everything in our life will be in balance--even keeled. Nothing outta whack!

Do you know what it's like to be outta whack? Have you ever lived with someone who is outta whack? It's stressful and no fun. But if instead of fretting and worrying we transform our concerns into prayers, before you know it, God's wholeness will settle you down.

Have you ever needed to be settled down? Have you ever craved for Christ Himself to show up and take the place of your worry? Have you ever been desperate for everything just finally working out for good?

What is the precursor for all of the above to take place? I know you all know this because you are each beautiful, faithful, and faith-filled children of the most high God!

There have been so many times when I have gone to God, better said, I have gone RUNNING to God with a worry. And the one that immediately comes to mind must be kept private between Him and me out of respect for the other folks involved. Suffice to say that the first few prayers were sloppy, practically grammatically incoherent, and desperate. I was not even sure what to ask for.

Me, whose nickname my senior year in high school was "Mouth of the South," found that words failed me. And yet, slowly but surely, God settled me down. I found that as the days passed I became better--not perfect--at shaping my worries into prayers. And then one day I was in the middle of the outlet mall in Orlando with Rayray when an amazing truth from God's Word hit me between the eyes and Voila! God's wholeness came and rested on me.

Rayray remembers the moment well because in the moment leading up to that precious truth, I had been upset and angry and whispering frantic prayers to our Lord. And then I calmed down dramatically, and Rayray thought I was psycho.

I will share that truth tomorrow. In the meantime, think about all that has you worried; transform them today into prayer.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, We invite You to settle us down today because we are turning our worries over to You. Rather than worry about ________, I turn this concern into a prayer for ________. We desire to be whole, and we desire those we love to be whole as well. Thank You that we have the assurance that because we are praying this out that You are working us into Your most excellent harmonies--nothing missing and nothing out of balance. In Jesus name, AMEN~

What Should Our Prayers Look Like?

Good afternoon, you magnificent creatures:)


Let's wrap up our look at praying for success by defining what success is. Abraham's servant was sent to look for a wife for Abraham's son. Arranged marriages were the custom back then, and even though we no longer do that, there is a lot we can learn from the servant's prayer. He specifically asked for a young woman who would offer water to him and the camels.

Sounds kind of lame in 2013. But back then after a lengthy trek across the desert, watering the camels meant a whole lot of extra work for this young lady. You try lowering a bucket in a well and haulin' it back up filled with water over and over again until those one-humped horses drank their fill, and the Bible tells us there were 10 camels in the caravan. If a camel can store 20 gallons in its hump, and each bucket holds a gallon, and there were 10 camels, that means Rebecca lowered and raised that bucket 200 times. (I feel so ashamed thinking back to when my mom would ask me to sweep the kitchen, and I would swish all the debris under the fridge).

At the heart of the servant's request was that the young lady whom he would find would be a decent, hard-working, kind, compassionate soul.

That's a worthy request if ever I heard one!

So when we pray for success what exactly should our prayers look like?

Philippians 4:6-9 Provides a great outline.
6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Do that, and God, Who makes everything work together, will work you into His most excellent harmonies.

We're all smart people. We know what is true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, and gracious. We know what is the best and not the worst. We know what is beautiful and what is ugly, and we know excatly what things we should praise. (If you're not sure, you can search the Good Book.)

All of which brings me to a story. I have sometimes wondered why it is that certain things happen to me. One reason is because some of those things are providing the perfect illustration for these DEVOs.

Back in 1989 I went to a prayer meeting with my mom where several women gathered to pray for their husbands. Everything was going well when one woman asked for prayer for her boyfriend. The only problem was that he was a married man.

Was this woman's request noble, beautiful, authentic, or praiseworthy? Of course not!!!! Clearly, she was confused, and all the other women who were there praying for their men, a few of whom were making stupid choices outside their marriage, really let her have it.

The important thing to keep in mind is that God is in control. Each of you could pray until you were blue in the face for me to stop loving Jorge, and God would never answer. We should all be relieved that we don't have that kind of power or else the world would be considerably more dangerous. God is, however, in the business of answering prayers that fulfill the requirements of the verses above. That's excellent news!

PRAYERS: Dear Lord, How wonderful that You and You alone are in control. And You are trustworthy. You will never ever answer a prayer that goes against Your Word. Thank You that You are all about displacing the worry in our lives with peace. Teach us to pray that we may receive the answers we seek. In Jesus' name, Amen~

Stretch Out Your Hand~

My trusty calendar informs me that today is the 78th day of the year; only 287 more to go. Time flies :)


We have been looking at how it's ok to pray for success, how we should provide God with a specific target, how God is a God Who says yes, how we need to be willing to pray because no one else might be doing it, how we shouldn't worry because God has us covered, BUT, there is still more to it.

Pastor Bill says, "Responsibility is our response to God's ability."

And when you read the Bible you will see that all throughout its magnificent pages that God works WITH us most of the time. Yes, He is a God of miracles and can do what He wants when He wants, but He has set it up so that life is a combination of our natural ability helped mightily along with His supernatural ability.

For example:

Abraham wanted a wife or his son. But he did not ask God to materialize a woman out of thin air. Abraham's servant picked himself up and physically went to look for the right young lady. That is where the prayer for success came in.

Think back to Bible story after Bible story and you will always see that we humans all have a role to play.

Yes, David killed Goliath, but he grabbed a stone, centered it in a slingshot, pulled back, and BAM! God could have sent a poisonous vapor to kill the giant, but He did not.

Yes, God parted the Red Sea, which is AMAZING, but not until Moses stretched out his hand over the sea first. (Exodus 14:16)

How does this translate into our lives?

A few years ago when Rayray started college she was unsure what to major in. She was not one of those who knew from the age of one that they wanted to be an astronaut. But each step of the way we faithfully prayed for God to lead her to something she would be passionate about and enjoy. Twists, turns, and fear of blood aside, Rayray has firmly settled on a degree of higher learning where she can merge two passions: children and therapy. God very faithfully led her as she took steps of faith by enrolling in this course or that course and eventually a clear picture emerged. It is going to require a Master's Degree, but she is happy to do the work because she feels she has purpose.

Imagine if we would have asked God for success for Rayray's career choice and then sat back all day watching cooking shows and painting our nails? Not in God's universe.

We must all "stretch out our hand," as it were. Take a step of faith today and trust God to lead you. If someone you love is not making an effort for themselves, remember that you have volunteered to pray for them. (Check out last Thursday's DEVO).

PRAYER:
Dear Lord,
No matter where we are in our journey, we know that you expect us to take the first step, and You will lead the way. Prayer is always the best first step as long as we follow it up with movement.  Help us and those we love move in the right direction. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

The Talking Woodpecker~

This morning I woke up to a constant and loud tap tap tap at my bedroom window. I opened the shutter to see a woodpecker with the most beautiful red crest pecking away. I was temporarily awestruck, and then I realized that it might actually break the window. I tried shooing it away, but it would not leave. I physically went outside, and that's when the woodpecker started flying toward me. I froze for a second then started flailing my arms to scare it away. The woodpecker was not deterred. Rather, it came closer and closer. I turned to run back inside the house and tripped on the front steps of my porch. I almost had a panic attack as I saw the woodpecker approaching again. It flew straight to my ear and said, "Help! I have nothing to eat!"

NOT! A bird will never ask us for food!

Matthew 6:26
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

We, dear people, are much more valuable than the birds. This means that God will care for our every need. Going back to this week's DEVO topic, we have been focusing on prayer. And believe it or not, there is still so much more richness to the verses we have been studying, so we will continue next week. But I have received so many emails about various concerns that today is all about encouraging you to keep on praying.

The verse that follows verse 26 above states:
Verse 27: "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

If that were the case I might live to be 1,000 years old :(

But I have learned and am still learning that asking God for His kingdom to come into the middle of my problem is the first step toward eliminating worry. God, in His incomparable wisdom, set up the universe to include our prayers as part of what gets Him to move on earth with His power. If we can somehow get this truth into our lives we will realize that whenever we face a problem or difficulty, we do not have to sit around not knowing what to expect. We can get involved through prayer.

If you, your spouse, your child, or one of your relatives or friends is having a crisis or problem, activate verse 33:

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

"All these things," are whatever you need to thrive and survive physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

What is the first thing we should all be doing?

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank You that You are our very first and finest source of EVERYTHING we need. We have decided not to worry, but rather to seek You and invite You and Your power to transform our lives. ________ needs ________ today. If You so freely take care of the birds, and if we are more precious to You than they, then we know that we know that we shall receive today that which we have prayed for. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Here I Am, Lord~

It is such a gorgeous South Florida day; praise Him!


All week we have been talking about asking God for success and being purposeful in our requests by providing God with a specific target. Today I want to take a moment to ask you if you are willing to follow the fine example of Isaiah.

Isaiah 6:8
"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'"

That verse had to do with God looking for someone willing to take a message to His people to change their ways, but the principle remains the same: God is looking for a person who is willing. And take a look at the exclamation point at the end of Isaiah's response. He was eager to do it.

God is still speaking to us today, people, through His beautiful Word. There is a need for prayer. Our families need it, our friends need it, we need it. Whom shall storm the gates of heaven and provide God with a bull's eye today?

All together now, "Here we are, Lord! We will!"

Isn't that lovely? It's like there is an escalator full of chilly willies running up and down my spine as I write this. "HERE I AM, LORD!"

Sometimes the only time someone is praying for your kids is when you do it. Sometimes the only time someone is praying for your spouse is when you do it. And sometimes the only one praying for you is you. Those are sobering thoughts.

We have a choice today. Let us choose wisely.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank You that the Bible teaches that the prayers of one person can make a monumental difference. A specific request offered unto You gives You something to work with. Having a BREAKDOWN is not an option! We ask You to strengthen us until we see a BREAKTHROUGH. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Give God a Bull's Eye~

Yesterday we saw how God encourages us to be specific in our requests. While it would be easier to hastily blurt out a quick sentence, "Bless me, Amen," keep in mind that God welcomes a detailed, heartfelt request.


Look at it this way. He is our Father and desires a close relationship with us, His kids. When we are close to someone, we tell them everything. We spare no details, and we are confident they will keep the details of the conversation private. There is trust in the relationship, and clearly, these kind of relationships are few and far between. That is why we are blessed if we can have one or two close friends with whom we can share anything.

One of the things I always told Rayray when she was growing up was to be very careful with what information she shared with her buddies. One time there was a get together and a few of the teenyboppers started talking about this guy and the other one etc...and not surprisingly, most of the middle school had heard about these very private conversations by the next morning. The fallout was pretty ugly, but Rayray, in a moment of God-given clarity understood what it meant to "Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life." Proverbs 4:23.

I love the beauty in that verse and the wisdom in it as well. Our hearts must be guarded because our very lives depend on it. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that we can spill out every last little thing in our heart to the One Who died to save it. He is trustworthy, and He is worthy of our taking the time to develop a close relationship with Him. It starts by our offering Him our specific prayers.

Let us paint a big ol', unmistakable bull's eye today on the life of the one we want to see God's power touch by being specific. It will give God a clear target as well as take you deeper into a relationship with Him. It may even be you who needs a touch. Abraham's servant prayed for himself and you can too:)


PRAYER: (Fill in the Blanks)
Dear Lord, Today I want to direct Your attention to ________. I/He/She need(s) Your peace and guidance. Specifically, help ________ with _________. Come close to me as I learn how to share my innermost feelings with You. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Be Bold in Your Requests~

2 Timothy 3:16

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right."

One of the things I love about the Bible is that every last word written in there is useful. It serves several purposes, and one of those is to teach what is true and make us realize what is wrong.

Keeping that in mind, let's go back to yesterday's DEVO. We learned that it is ok to pray for success. And if you read a little further down in the same chapter we see that the servant laid out a detailed description of what He wanted God to do.

Genesis 24:14
"This is my request. I will ask one of them, 'Please give me a drink from your jug.' If she says, 'Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!'--let her be the one You have selected as Isaac's wife. This is how I will know that You have shown unfailing love to my master."

The servant gave God a very specific request that He could respond to. Sometimes we may be left wondering why God isn't answering our prayer. Maybe we're just being too vague.

"Bless little Susie today," is sweet enough, but "Give Susie a clear understanding of multiplying and dividing fractions so she aces her test," is more of a bull's eye for God to aim His power at.

"Let Rayray marry a good man," is a nice prayer, but "Send someone who loves you and will be faithful all the days of his life and honor her and be a patient dad etc...," gives God a target to work with.

"Help Tom have peace today," is a good request, but "Fill Tom with the peace that passes understanding today and give him a calm and clear mind as he presents his plans at the meeting," is a clearer objective.

Are you getting the idea? God responds to heartfelt, detailed prayers. He is going to make an effort for us; let us make an effort when we pray and share with Him what we would really like to see Him do.

The prayers in these DEVOs are meant to open a door into deeper prayers between each of you and the Lord in an intimate, more personal context. Do not shy away from being bold and specific in your requests.


PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank You that Your Word makes it clear that You want us to be bold and specific in our requests. This shows us that You really do care about every single thing that concerns us. You want to be in a meaningful relationship with us where we share the innermost details and concerns of our lives and You respond with Your guidance and wisdom. In Jesus name, AMEN~

Grant Me Success~

Greetings~

This week is all about Q&A.

(Q) Is it ok to ask God for personal success.

(A) This past weekend I went up to Vero Beach to a place called Dodgertown to watch Hormone play baseball. As his mom I have always prayed for him to do well, and as always, we refer to the Bible as our ultimate guide for living.

Genesis 24:12
"O LORD, God of my master, Abraham," he prayed. "Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham."

The verse above was prayed by Abraham's servant, and he was asking God for success for the task that Abraham asked him to do. More on that another day. What I want to focus on are these key points.

• The servant asked; he did not demand.
• He was courteous and showed God all the respect He deserves as our Father and Lord.
• It was a simple, heartfelt prayer.
• It was specific in terms of when he wanted the success, which was "today."

God is approachable and loves it when we include Him in our plans. Abraham's servant was given the enormous responsibility of finding a wife for Abraham's son, and he was wise to first and foremost set out on this endeavor asking, not demanding, God for help. What I love about this prayer is that it shows us that prayer does not have to be some complicated diatribe. God is not impressed with how many words we know.

God also appreciates it when we take a step of faith and invite His power into our situations because it shows Him that we know that we need Him, as if we could ever really fully guide ourselves or protect ourselves or save our own souls...NONSENSE!

And sometimes, dear people, we need the success ASAP.

I am happy to report that God answered the servant's prayer with a hearty "YES!" Everything he prayed for was granted, which shows us that God is a God Who says yes.

Before we finish up, let's turn this around because I recently spoke with a fine gentleman who says he is not comfortable asking God for success for himself or for his kids or for anyone else because God is not concerned with those kinds of things. This is simply not biblical. So I immediately lashed out, (I am sorry), and said, "Repeat after me. Dear God, please do not help my kids today. Whatever they attempt to do in school and in sports and with their relationships, let them fail."

Of course, it is sometimes by the ridiculous that we realize that it is ok, actually very wise on our part, to ask God for success.

I encourage you all to get a new perspective on God and what kind of Father He is. He desires to be included in your life through prayer, and He delights in answering yes.

But what if the answer is no? Oh oh!!! We'll see, and sometimes, believe it or not, we do need to pray for failure.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord,
Thank You so much for Your Word. You have made it clear that we can ask for success and trust You with the outcome. We don't want to see our spouses or children fail, and You don't either. Pronounce a 'YES" over our lives today that we might be successful in our jobs, family life, school work, emotional well-being, and health. In Jesus name, AMEN~

Rejoice~

"This is the day that the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24


Picture, if you dare, a little girl with knee-hi socks, a Little House on the Prairie frock, pig tails, and a tambourine singing her heart out to the verse above. The entire song is repeating the verse over and over again, and it doesn't matter if you were upset when you started singing. By the time you were done you were, in fact, rejoicing in the day the Lord made. That precious child was me.

I still have that tambourine--the one that must have accompanied me to over 3000 prayer meetings, and this morning I found it. So, if your day started out rough, I want to remind you that God made the day, and it is a beautiful thing. Will you choose to be glad in it? Or will you be rude and nasty in it? Will you rejoice or will you pout?

Rejoice, I say, rejoice!!!!

PRAYER:
Dear Lord,
We love that You expect us to rejoice in our day no matter what. It doesn't say rejoice only if everything is perfect. If that were the case, we might never be glad again. But since we have faith in You, our loving Father, we know You will work it all out. Of course we will rejoice! In Jesus' name, AMEN~

AMEN!

My how the days go by; it's Friday again :)


A few of you have asked me why we say, "Amen," so much--especially at the end of our prayers. Are you ready to be blessed?

According to the fine folks at dictionary.com it means, it is so; so be it, and is used after a prayer to express solemn agreement.

The Bible agrees.

2 Corinthians 1:20
"Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In Him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident."

Don't you love that? God's willingness to bless us joined with our willingness to receive? That is why we say Amen. We are letting God know that we want and expect to receive everything we have just prayed about. We agree that we need His love and provision to enjoy our lives. It's like a seal of approval. I love it.

Think back over all the prayers we have prayed as a group, and may you find tremendous joy and peace in knowing that each and every one has been heartily sealed with our "So be it," to God's unparalleled willingness to fulfill everyone of His promises.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, We have prayed so many times for blessings in our lives and the lives of those we love. How wonderful to know that every single promise has been stamped with the Yes of Jesus and with our Yes as well. So be it! May it be so! It is so, and in Jesus name, AMEN!

Stand in the Gap~

Yesterday we were left wondering about what we are to do if someone we love is not plugging into God. If our coming close to God is a pre-requisite for His coming close to us, and if someone we love is not making that effort, what hope do we have?


Of course we want those we love to have God's peace, joy, protection, and guidance in their lives. But if they aren't seeking it, is it a lost cause?

NOPE, NO WAY, NEVER, UH-UH!

God expects us to stand in the gap. I love that expression, "Stand in the Gap."

All of you know that I raised my children to love the Lord, and they willingly accepted Christ as their Savior at a young age. But there have been periods in their lives when prayer and going to church was not a priority. They weren't really plugging in as often as they should. There was a disconnect between them and God. So I filled that gap with my prayers.

I got right in the middle of the divide and poured my heart out to God to keep them safe anyway. To guide them anyway. To pour His spirit out on them anyway. To fill them with joy anyway. To let their dreams come true anyway. To bless them with the right relationships anyway. And guess what? He has and He did and He will continue to do that.

1 Timothy 2:1
"I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them."

What a tremendous relief to know that when we pray for others, God helps them. When we say, "Thy kingdom come..."It does, and it invades the lives of those we love.

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank You that You come near to us when we pray and near to those whom we are praying for. This is such a lovely truth. It will carry us happily along for the rest of the day. Remind us of this when things get crazy--that prayer changes things. Come near to ________ today. They really need You. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Enjoy Your Life~

My mission in life is to turn every frown I see into a smile. Yes, there is a bunch of bad news, everywhere, all the time, but there is more good news than bad. I promise! In light of eternity, keeping in mind about the wonderful adventures ahead, we should smile everyday no matter what. But, I don't want any one to think that they have to go through life--barely making it--until heaven. NEWS ALERT: GOD WANTS YOU TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE ON EARTH!!!

John 10:10

"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."

Jesus wants you to have a full, satisfying life. Yet so many out there live their lives devoid of peace, joy, faith, and hope. Millions upon millions of folks are on some type of medication to help them function, and too many others, in an act of extreme desperation, take their own life every single day.

Why does this happen if God, in the kindest and most compassionate act ever in history, sent Jesus to save our souls AND bless our human existence?

Think of it this way. We all have electricity in our homes. Great and glorious power available to us, but we have to plug the cord in to access it. It's the same thing with God. He's there ready and waiting, but we have to plug into Him. We must take the first step because God does not and will not force Himself onto anyone.

James 4:8

"Come near to God and He will come near to you."

We get near to Him through prayer, which is a fancy word for having a little convo. Plain and simple. How often should we come near? Daily.

"Give us this day our daily bread," is one of the hallmark's of our faith.

God desires to be kind to us everyday, and if you woke up this morning and ate a hearty breakfast and took a hot shower all while listening to the radio, then thank God for His kindness. If you had to get dressed and go to work, thank God for His kindness. If you took a car to work, thank Him for His kindness. If you dropped of your kids at school and kissed them before they ran off, thank God for His kindness. If your spouse brought you coffee in bed, thank God for His kindness. Heck, if you made your own coffee, thank Him for His kindness.

There are so many things we should thank God for, but today let us thank Him that He is approachable and that He responds by coming near to us. And He doesn't come empty-handed. He brings whatever you need to have a full, rich, satisfying life!

What if there is someone you love who isn't plugging in and you are worried about them? Mañana :)

PRAYER:

Dear Lord,

Thank You that we have the assurance that if we plug into You, You respond by coming near to us. We accept as a matter of fact and faith that since we are praying now, You are coming near to each and every one of us. Fill us with peace and joy today. You said You came to give us an abundant life, and we receive it. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Get a Grip~

Good morning :)


Yesterday we were left wondering how God shows mercy, which is kindness and compassion. So much crazy stuff happens everyday that we have to purposely focus on God and, like I like to say to those who live with me, "Get a grip, people!"

Get a grip on what?

First and foremost, let us examine the soul. I was having a conversation with someone last week and we were talking about the brevity of life. It goes so quickly, and now that I am pushing 50 YEARS OLD, I can attest to the fact that I went to sleep one day as a young, collagen-filled girl, and now I wake up and pinch my eyelids to see how long it takes for them to snap back. With all this cold weather, they are not snapping back!!! I scared myself so bad yesterday morning because it took almost 15 seconds for my pinched lids to unfurl. Not doing that again :)

We all know that with each passing day we are one step closer to glory. This is actually a great thing and nothing to be afraid of. On the contrary. The real living and the real fun begins in eternity. Think of all the people you know and all the good and bad that's part of their personality. In glory, only the good remains. Your spouses and children and in-laws and siblings and friends will all be a perfect version of themselves. How exciting is that?

Which brings me to the point of today's DEVO: The number one way God showed kindness and compassion was by making sure there would be a way for us to get to live with Him forever.

John 3:16 (Insert your name in place of mine).
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized YENISE that He sent His only Son, so that by YENISE believing in Him, YENISE would not be lost but have eternal life.

This is a fundamental truth that I live by. And when the pressures of life mount, I think about how one day it really will be alright, all the time. If you have difficulty wrapping your head around the awesomeness of that, you're not alone.

1 Corinthians 2:9 "No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."

None of us mere humans can even begin to fully comprehend how great it will be. So when I say, "Get a grip!" what I am really saying is change your perspective. From our point of view life is hard a lot of the time. But from God's , He has something so unbelievably wonderful to offer that He reminds us constantly to trust Him, seek Him, have hope in Him, and pray; we will find out for ourselves soon enough:)

In the meantime, however, God promises to help with this life too, and everyday we see His kindness and compassion. More on that as the week progresses.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for preparing a place if perfection for us. We are excited that our minds are too small to fully understand how AMAZING it will be. Remind us when life gets tough that there are better days ahead. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Lord, Have Mercy~

We have worked our way backward on this week's verse and have finally arrived at the beginning.


Psalm 57:1

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me: for my soul trusts inYou: yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be over.

Remember that game we all played as kids where we would stand face-to-face with someone, interlock hands and try to bend the other's fingers back until they snapped or the person yelled, "MERCY!"?

By the time someone yelled, it was because there was an URGENT need for relief. This verse is asking for mercy twice, and it is not some quiet, relaxed, I am sipping tea out by the pool on a lovely spring afternoon, wearing a wide-brim sombrero, and casually swatting at the occasional fly, with a pinky extended and saying, "Be merciful, hee hee hee."

NO! It's more of a life is hard, my kid failed another test, my daughter is dating a thug, my husband is depressed, I hate my job, and I don't know how I am going to pay the bills screaming, "Be merciful to me, O God, me merciful to me!!!!"

Do you see the difference? It's a gut-wrenching sincere cry for relief. Other versions of the Bible describe the calamities as a hurricane. If you're in the middle of a hurricane, your cry for help will be forceful and emphatic.

And it is ok--more than ok--to cry out for mercy from the One Whom your soul trusts and under Whose wing you are hiding out until the bad stuff passes.

We trust, pray, and seek shelter, and He freely and abundantly provides mercy.

What, exactly, is mercy? It's God's kindness and compassion. More on that this week :)

What a satisfying note to begin our week on!

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Be merciful to us, O God, be merciful to us: for our souls trust in You: yes, in the shadow of Your wing we make our refuge, until the calamities be over. In Jesus name, AMEN~

My Soul Trusts in You~

Psalm 57:1


Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me: for my soul trusts in You: yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be over.

We have all heartily amened over the fact that calamities end and that we find comfort, protection, and rest in the wing. Why is that? Because our soul trusts in Him.

(The following are all real life events that either happened to me or one of my kids.)


Remember when you were itty bitty and some punk pre-schooler bit you on the back? Or when curiosity overwhelmed you and you stuck your finger in the car lighter and charred its tip? Or maybe you snuck off
to the playground and fell off the slide and busted your mouth? Perhaps you were minding your business and a fat dog casually waddled over and bit you on your toe. What is the first thing we all did?

Run to our momma!

We trusted that she would somehow make it all better, and she always did. Why, then, do we make our refuge in the shadow of God's protective and comforting wing? Again, because our soul trusts in Him. Isn't that perfectly wonderful?

Our soul trusts in Him...

Is He trustworthy? Yes! The moment that, "He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us (Romans 8:32)," He got the attention of my soul.

When you trust someone, you go to them and find comfort. You tell them everything and anything on your heart knowing they won't judge you but will help you. They will speak encouraging words to you and re-introduce joy into your weary heart. They will bind your wounds with the oil of gladness. They will fix whatever boo boo they have the ability to fix. God does all that but perfectly and more powerfully than anyone you will ever meet--including momma.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Our souls trust in You. Sometimes we find it challenging to trust because we have had so many disappointments, but remind us that You have never let us down. You will always always always be
there when we make the effort to take refuge in You. In Jesus' name,

AMEN~