When God Speaks~

Greetings,

Right at the very beginning of the Bible we read that when God speaks, amazing things happen:

"God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light'" (Genesis 1:3).  

And by the time God was done speaking, all of creation was established, and He declared that "it was good."

God will speak into our lives too.

Whether it's a financial breakthrough, a relationship rescue, or a health need, no matter what it is, let's ask God to "let there be..."

enough resources to cover the bills...

peace and mutual understanding between us...

a miracle of healing and strength...

When God speaks, situations turn around, order is brought out of chaos, and it leads to good things. 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, "Let there be..." Such simple yet powerful words because of WHO speaks them.  We all have an area where we welcome Your creativity, strength, and goodness.  Speak a miracle into our lives today.  Especially for _______.  Let there be _________.  In Jesus' name. AMEN~

There's a Verse for That!

Greetings~

Isaiah 55:10-11 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with My Word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it."

In these two verses God makes four mighty statements about His Word:  (1) He sends it out, (2) It always produces fruit, (3) It will accomplish what He wants it to, and (4) It will prosper everywhere He sends it.

If only we could send out His Word.  If only we could initiate the healing, help, love, comfort, joy, peace, faith, hope, and protection that is the prosperous result of coming into contact with God's word.  Oh my goodness! Wait a second! When we pray that is exactly what we are doing. And particularly, when we pray scripture directly over our situation, we can rest assured that something good will come from it.

Yesterday my sister had surgery, and she is 100% A-Okay.  AMEN. In the weeks leading up to her surgery, the verses above were front and center in my mind.  I prayed many prayers for her to have a successful surgery. 

Now that she is in recovery I am praying this verse over her based on Psalm 41:3 (The Message Version): “My sister is recovering in bed, be her nurse and nurse her back to health.”

It feels great to pray a verse that is specific to the concern. And I am holding onto God’s promise that it is producing something good in her life!

What's on your mind today? I promise you there's a verse for that. Check out this link: http://www.openbible.info/topics  Visit this website, type in a word like love, health, peace, children, marriage, discouragement, loneliness, etc…and several verses in the Bible on that topic will pop up and bless you.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Send Your word our way. We know the things You want to accomplish are always for our good. We need and desire good fruit produced in our lives. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Enjoy Life's Pleasures, but...

Luke 8:7,14 “Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants…The seeds that were planted among thorns are people who hear the word, but as life goes on the worries, riches, and pleasures of life choke them. So they don't produce anything good.”

Riches and pleasures – that’s the second half of the equation that Jesus talked about saying that the Word of God sometimes is choked when we are too busy enjoying life.

But wait – look at what the Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:19, “And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life – this is indeed a gift from God.”

Health, wealth, pleasure...these are gifts from God.  In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with enjoying life.  It’s when we forget to include God in our life, when we forget to thank Him for our blessings, when we get so wrapped up in having fun that we eventually forget God is the One responsible for all the good we enjoy – that’s the kind of behavior that leads to low productivity.

Actually, Jesus says that when we are consumed with riches and pleasures we don’t produce anything good, and this makes perfect sense to me.  If always having fun and the money to finance all that pleasure were enough in life, rich and famous people would never commit suicide or get in trouble for bad behavior. 

I have often heard that, “So and so had everything.  Why did he kill himself?”  I have had that reaction myself.  This proves that wealth, fame, prestige, and fun are not enough.  There has to be something more to make sense of life.      

The key is to enjoy these gifts from God but not at the expense of God.  To live life joyfully but with the awareness that God is our Father, Protector, Provider, and Source of every blessing, and to always have a prayer of thanks at the ready.

That is the formula for true success.  When the seed heads our way, we water them with gratitude and stay connected to Christ.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We thank you for blessing us with so much.  Forgive for those times when we have been too busy having fun that we have forgotten about You.  Sometimes we only come to you when there a crisis and completely ignore You when everything is going smoothly.  You are the reason we are breathing, and wealth and health come from You.  We never want to choke the life-giving seed You desire to plant in our lives by being too busy for You.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Praise Reports~

Greetings~

Praise report time!

(1) One of you has been praying long and hard for guidance for your child and was eager to see that child settle into a job. A open door had been sitting there for a while and things appeared to be stalled, and then BAM! yesterday everything fell into place. And proving once again that God has perfect timing, your child started today sooner than expected and everyone is excited to see what the future will bring. AMEN!

(For all of you waiting on God's direction for your child or even yourself, take a moment today to thank Him for answering prayers. Number one above is the result of a praying mother!)

(2) One of you, who thought love had passed you by, is in love for the first time as a thirty-something adult. All this time you thought God had forgotten you, but you know your momma was praying for a special young man, and BAM! you are newly engaged and thrilled beyond words.

(For all of you waiting for love, take a moment to thank God that He is the ultimate matchmaker and knows exactly who to send your way. In the meantime, ask God to fill you with peace and joy as you wait for Him.)

(3) As I sit here and write this, one of you precious and lovely souls has an appointment this afternoon because you found a little intruder in your breast. But God has already been called upon, cried to, and invited to fill you with peace and health. This qualifies as a praise report because no matter what, you are prepared to give Him praise for being in control! I am humbled by your attitude and know that others need to read this and be inspired.

(For all you facing health challenges, never forget that calling upon God is the first course of action. When we wait for Him He promises to make us strong.)

Wait for Him...What do those words mean? (Tune in tomorrow)

Isaiah 40:31 They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Sometimes our strength needs renewing. We feel weak and don't know how much more we can take. Soaring like an eagle and running without growing tired sounds appealing too. The first step is prayer. Fill us with energy and vitality and joy today. In Jesus' name, AMEN~