ME, MY, ME, ME, and ME!

Good morning precious and blessed children of the Most-high God,

A few years back one of Rachel's college buddies visited, and before he left I asked if we could pray tgether. He automatically stood up and reached for my hand, which made me chuckle because he had been down this road before and remembered how much I like making a prayer circle!

As we stood in our little circle, I asked if he had any personal requests, any areas where He would like to see the mighty hand of God move. He replied, "I do not feel comfortable asking for myself, but I would like for God to help my mom, dad, and brother."

It grieves me when people say to me they don't feel right praying for themselves, and I hear it so often that it's time to set the record straight. The Bible, as our infallible guide for living, very clearly states - in more than one verse - that we can and should pray for ourselves.  The best verse to drive this point home is found in 1 Chronicles 4:10, "Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "'Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!'"  And God granted what he asked."

This is such a fully-loaded passage, but notice all the self-centered pronouns...the me, my, me, me, and me sequence.  Jabez was praying for himself! And let's not overlook the very last part of the verse: AND GOD GRANTED WHAT HE ASKED.

Could it be that praying for ourselves is actually the best thing for our families?  I constantly remind my children and husband that an emotionally stable, joy-filled, peace-infused, calm-exuding, lighthearted, keeping-the-faith, unruffled Yenise is the very best gift I can give to them.  This is why I pray for myself every single day.  By the way, of course I prayed for that young man's family, but I also prayed for him!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Your Word is clear that we can and should pray for ourselves.  And most importantly, You grant our requests.  We lift up our voice just like Jabez did and pray that You would bless us and enlarge our borders.  We especially need bigger faith, stronger hope, an expansion of hope, more love, an increase in our praying. We pray that Your hand would be with us - guiding us - and that You would keep us from harm.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Jesus, Strengthen Me

Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Jesus Who strengthens me." 

Greetings,

Today we pick up the Ironman story with the actual event itself.

Imagine hundreds of men and women, all eager/anxious participants, excitedly huddled around friends and families in the huge parking lot of Northshore Park where a 2.4 mile swim would kick off the grueling competition.  Now let me change the name from huddles to prayer circles because everywhere I looked folks were holding hands in public and inviting the greatest Ironman Who ever lived, JESUS, to be their Protector, Guide, and Encourager. 

Next thing we know the starter gun has gone off, and all the swimming cap-wearing competitors dive into the water.  It was breathtaking to see the synchronized bobbing heads.  Ernie's entourage and I headed back to the other side of the waterway where we would be able to walk alongside him for a few minutes as he swam to the transition point.  What we did not know was that a few minutes into the swim, Ernie got the breath kicked out of him by one or more of the hundreds of surrounding zealous swimmers vying for the best time.  He literally had to float on his back for 20 minutes.  Was Jesus with him giving him strength?

Ernie successfully transitioned into the bike ride, and a few hours later his kids spotted him.  They yelled for us to make our way down to a fenced area where Ernie would drop off the bike and then take off running. We were all there when a clearly exhausted Ernie staggered over to us.  And for a brief moment in time everything stopped.

He reached out to Maggie, his wife, kissed her, and said he was not sure he could continue.  His feet were in terrible pain, and admits he cried the last 50 miles of the bike race because of it.  We rallied around him, and somehow, someway, he dug deep, and off he went.  Was Jesus with him giving him strength?

At one point while we are waiting to see him during the run, Maggie says she and Ernie agreed that if he gave her a thumbs up it meant everything was fine.  She confided in me she was sure he would give the thumbs up no matter what to ease her worrying. But then we spotted him, and he gave a resounding and energetic thumbs up.  I told Maggie there was no way he could fake that joy, and it turns out I was right.  A few yards into the marathon, the foot pain stopped.  Did Jesus, indeed, strengthen him?

The answer, dear ones, is YES!  It would be a good idea for all of us to accept by faith that when we pray, whether or not we feel anything, God has answered and is with us.  That is why it is called faith. 

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Strengthen our faith to believe that when we pray You answer us.  Give us strength for whatever we face today.  It is comforting to know we are never alone. In Jesus' name, Amen~

A Simple Admission

Galatians 3:9 "Those who have faith are blessed..."

Good morning!

Let us resume our Ironman tale.

The night before the Ironman competition, Ernie went to bed early; he would be taking  a 5AM shuttle the next day to get to the event.

But before he went to sleep something awesome and sacred and beautiful took place: Every single one of us there, eight in total, put our hands on Ernie and prayed.

Picture, if you can, this fit, buff, mega-tanned dude sitting in a floral patterned hotel chair with family and friends encircling him and eight strategically placed hands on his body.  Everyone was in agreement that what we were about to do was necessary and powerful.  We were going to call on the almighty God Creator of heaven and earth to protect Ernie, give him endurance, bless him, and honor him.

Making it even more special was that Ernie's two sons flew in that day to join us.  Both his boys were part of our circle of prayer, and simply said, " God, take care of our dad."  Their request was straight to the point and powerful, and it was the heart cry of everyone there. 

The question is, Did God answer?  Was our faith rewarded? Tune in next week...

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, Thank You that faith does not have to be complicated.  All You are looking for is honesty  -  a simple admission that we need You because there are so many things we cannot do for ourselves. 

Today we ask for You to fill us in each area of our life where we are lacking.  Some of us need rest.  Others need peace.  We all need joy and hope.  Bless us and honor us too. Help us, dear Lord, for only You can effectively fill these voids.  We are especially grateful that You receive, cherish, and welcome our faith. In Jesus' name, Amen!     

Leo~

2 Chronicles 14:11 "Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, 'O LORD, no one but You can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You alone. It is in Your name that we have come against this vast horde.'"

We recently learned about Asa and how a bigger, greater, stronger army was headed in his direction. Asa knew he was outmatched and outnumbered before he even lifted a finger to fight. And he was wise because the first thing he did was call on the Lord by simply saying, "Help!"

He didn't try to fight them off first then retreat and pray. He knew he was up against a force mightier then he, and he did not hesitate to acknowledge he needed God's help.

How might this biblical story translate into today?

Well, I have a colleague whom I will call Leo. He was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer, and of course, he is freaking out. But because we live in a great and free nation and because I am a little pushy--just a little--I asked Leo if we could pray for him; we meaning all my other co-workers and me. I am proud to say that EVERYONE showed up when I invited them, and we all gathered last Monday in the conference room and made a prayer circle around Leo, which means we all crowded around him and put our hands on him. In keeping with biblical guidelines, we all agreed we were seeking a miracle of healing and supernatural guidance for this "vast horde" Leo was facing. Leo had never been the center of attention in a manner such as this, but through grateful tears he thanked us for our prayers. It was truly a holy moment.

As soon as God was invited, He showed up. One of Leo's bosses who has connections at a local hospital, set up an appointment with a specialist for February 18. It was cancelled for February 6th. That's right. They moved it up. And just yesterday, they cancelled again and said they would see him THIS MORNING! Leo loves this new doctor, and not less than five minutes ago Leo called and said, "My faith is stronger, and I am at peace." Wowie Zowie!

Excuse me while I do an extra-long version of my happy dance!

I will provide updates on Leo, but think about the "vast horde" you are facing. The giant. The insurmountable odds. It can be physical, mental, emotional, financial, relational, spiritual, educational...It doesn't matter what it is, our first line of defense is to get God involved.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help! We need You every second of every day. Guide us in the right direction, and thank You that You care about every single details of our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen~