Hello Sisters,
I am so grateful that we have a medium to carry on with our bible study as well as relationship with each other. It may take a little while to get used to , however, hopefully it become active with chatter of ideas, input, and a non-stopped conversation of activity.
Please share your thoughts, ideas, questions, and prayer concerns in this blog. You can share day or night as it is open to all that want to participate and draw near to the Lord. As we grow I would like it to reach those who maynot know the Lord and would be open enough to say they would like to recieve him as Savior. Please feel free to e-mail me or Marsha if you have any private prayer request or concerns.
Remember- this Blog is not limited to the bible study, so use it as a connecting with your sisters tool!
Bible study from the book “Fervent’.
YOUR PASSION-March 22, 2020
2 Kings 6:1-7
This is such a great story! I will admit I never saw what the Lord was trying to show us in it. I just always thought what a great God we have that could make an axehead float. I wasn’t able to gleen the concept of getting back our passion.
There are times, if we admit it, that most of have lost our passion. I know there have been times that I have become too busy, too preoccupied, too consumed with ‘other’ things to recongnize having even lost the passion.
BUT God! He is faithful to bring us back to him!
Our fellowship and communion with God is essential ( John 15:4 (Abide in me, and I in you . As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine: no more can ye , except ye abide in me.”)
They were in a building program. wanting to build a better place! They recognized their need and were anxious to get on with preparing it. Matt 28:19 tells us (“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost.”)
It’s kinda what we are doing, we are recongnizing our need for a deeper walk with Christ. We are seeking our temple to be a better dwelling place for the Lord to ‘Go ye therefore…’.
According to verse 4 , everyone joined in the task. They were energetic, ready, and equipped with all the right tools- including passion! ( that’s where I see us!)
Verse 5 Oh-no! one of the workers LOST their cutting edge- (the Lord had loaned them). Their passion had now been lost!
We need to remember that according to Zech 4:6 …the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might , nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
1 Cor 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
All of our ability, strength, and passion comes from and belongs to HIm!
We can’t drum it up, however, we can have become to busy, preoccupied, or have lost interest in the things of God.
When recognized we can then say what Job said in JOB 23:3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!
If God can make an axhead swim, He can resore one of HIs own children!!
So what is the Lord showing us in these verses on how to regain that Passion?
1. The axhead has now been lost- we have to stop working. Stop trying on your own. Luke 24:49 behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
2. We need to confess, if we have failed in this area. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is failthful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all rightousness.
We need to show the Lord where we lost our ax head ( effectiveness).
Did we give up our private devotions, did we stop attending the house of God, were we offended or maybe had secret sin??
In verse 6 the man of God asked him , Where did it fall?
You will never recover your axhead until you tell the Lord just where you lost it.
In verse 7 The man of God said to take it up. And he put out his hand to take it.
You are here for a reason- search your heart, wait on Him, confess areas of failure, lift your hands to heaven and step out in faith!!!!
Take up the Passion that the Lord is giving you! Don’t believe the lie of the enemy that it is for everyone but you- it is for YOU!!!
Hosea 14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: mine anger is tuned away!
This is my prayer today;
Lord, I thank you so much for your lovingkindess! So many times I fall down but you are there to pick me up! I ask forgiviness for becoming lazy at times and failing to seek your heart and the things of God. I love you and am asking that you fill me with your Spirit and PASSION. Passion for You, your Word, your people, and those that don’t know you! Create in me a new heart! I thank you for what you have done and what you are going to do! In the name of Jesus!
Mark 11:22-24 New International Version (NIV)
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ❤
Remember this blog is for all of us to communicate with each other.
Please put your prayer request or encouraging word to the body of Christ!
It is awesome that even in a time we are restricted by personal distance or ability to meet- we have a wonderful opportunity to comment, give your favorite verses, encourage, pray, and lift each other up through this blog.
Don’t be shy!
I pray that you will be touched by God’s presence and comfort this day, in the name of Jesus!
Crystal Hamilton ( one of our church attendants)has given permission for me to share that she needs prayer regarding her health. She is currently dealing with an ear infection, possible strep throat and respiratory infection. She has suffered many health issues that complicate her current illness. Please agree with me for her quick recovery and keep her in your daily prayers!
I was reading in Luke 22 this morning for my devotions. As I meditated on verse 31-34
Luke 22:31-34 New International Version (NIV)
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
It is easy for me to currently think whatever trial comes my way I will be strong and not falter in my faith. However, the truth is I will be like Peter, I will be as afraid as anyone else! But I want to encourage each of you, as well as myself- verse 32 says Jesus is praying for us that our faith may not fail. He also directs us to strengthen our brothers/sisters when we turn back.
I want to encourage each of you now, that the trials we are currently facing and those to come may briefly cause our faith to fail, BUT GOD, He will lift us up, strengthen us, and empower us to walk in His might! Keep your eyes on Jesus!
Please share what’s on your heart regarding your current fears with the virus. We need to keep each other strengthened.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Good Day Everyone I woke today with this song on my heart. This is the Day This is the Day, This is the Day that the Lord had made, that the Lord had made let us rejoice, let us rejoice and be Glad in it, and be glad in it! This is the Day that the Lord hath made let us rejoice and be Glad in it!!
No matter what it looks like all around us God is for us not against us !!
I have been young, and now am old: yet I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” Ps.37:25
Amen sister!
I should have added to the share fears- and ‘encouraging words’! We need to keep positive and know that our HOPE is in HIM!!!
When I was going to school a few years ago ( I didn’t obtain my bachelor degree until I was 60 years old-quit laughing 🤣)but my point in saying that ; we had to use the ‘blackboard’ to communicate with each other as a group. I didn’t like the idea until I started using it. It became a place of interesting ideas and comments. It was fun to see what others were thinking and getting to know them through this way of communication. Please don’t be shy- lets use this opportunity to get to know each other better!!
PS- keeping positive doesn’t mean you can’t express a having hard time. It gives those that are feeling strong when you are weak a chance to reach out- vise versa when needed!
This group is private for women of our church as well as our friends and family- no men and not open to the world.
Anyone having problems focusing??
I know for one, I am!
It really takes a little more discipline to get past all the current events and news to focus on the only one (Christ) and know as we pray and cast all our cares upon Him that He will perform His Word.
The bombardment of the current events can cause us to focus more on what the enemy is doing vs what God is doing. We need to see that God is reaching more people via online churches and the desperate need to call out to Him since 9/11. That is a Praise God report! We need to see how families spending more time together and realizing what’s important. Many of us have more time to spend with Him than before- due to being forced to stay home.
We need to clear our minds from all that causes the clutter- and began to use this time to pray for our unsaved family, friends, and the world!
Just like the book ‘Fervent ‘says focus will protect your dreams and goals from being consumed by the fear of current events, life’s struggles, family situations, other issues, and what ‘they’ say the future may bring. If we are more focused on the visible and physical instead of where the action really is we can easily become preoccupied, depressed, and overwhelmed.
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood (what you can see) but against rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places Eph 6:12
We must pull back the curtain, open our spiritual eyes, and become more aware of how the enemy is playing on our minds during these trying times verses seeing life through an eye-opening experience as to what God is doing as we go to Him in prayer.
Ephesians 6:10-11 Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might by putting on the full armor of God and thereby becoming able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 6:14-17 New International Version (NIV)
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Truth-God’s standard; unchanging
Righteousness- right living; honoring God
Peace-deep, inner; living harmoniously with others
Faith- what we believe, putting feet to our belief
Salvation-eternal security; including victorious living
The Word of God; His Word for you today
Prayer infuses our armor with the Power of God Himself!
We need to walk in victory and claim what is ours!!
Ask Him to help you take the attention and emotional energy off all the circumstances that are engulfing us and refocus our attention on the King of Kings and His glory and spend time with Him in bible reading , meditation on His Word, and prayer!
Please share your victories or concerns with this group so we can rejoice or pray for each other during this time!
Remember you are the church, we are the body of Christ, we don’t need a building to function as a church. We can encourage each other in this format until we can meet again!
I want to put out a challenge to all of you- I know that many days I spend more time looking at the news to see what’s going on in the world of Corona virus than what God is doing . Does anyone want to join me in a’ news’ fasting on April 1st? We can fast (news) from 8am to 8pm and purpose to spend at least 30 minutes to one hour in the Word.
Then on Thursday if you feel led, share what the Lord speaks to your heart during that time.
I love you all,
Mendy
OK, this is this ‘news junkie’ day of fasting the news!
Just saw the quotes
” True faith is keeping your eyes on the Lord when the world around you is falling apart.”
Don’t focus on your adversaries. Focus on God’s possibilities”
Not sure if it is the nurse in me that has kept me so engrossed to the covid19 virus news or how it so aligns with the end times. But I am laying it down and ready for the 12hour fast of the news!
Is anyone else out there with me! We may need to connect today when the withdrawals start!🤣❤ Keeping my eyes on Jesus!
Good Morning Great Word !! YES I will follow suit with you on the news. its time to shut out the voice of discouragement, Lets have a Jesus filled Worship Day !!!!! Love to all my sisters if you need anything call 864-200-5308 PS Mindy there reading just not replying yet.. Keep up the Good work Spread Encouragement..
Well , sorry I didn’t follow up yesterday, I had a great day on the 1st! I focused on the Lord and what He is doing in and through the church. It is encouraging to see how many in the body of Christ are drawing nearer to Him as well.
Yesterday I did go shopping for needed supply’s- with gloves and a mask ! We need to keep ourselves safe and protected from the covid19 virus.
I am looking forward to life getting to ‘normal in social distancing” ( missing seeing friends) but pray that we as a nation , church, and world continue to grow closer to Him.
Take this time to spend with Him, meditate on His Word, and give God the glory for what he is going to do!
I just felt led to share one of the only two visions I have had since I gave my life to Christ in 1996.
I was just wasting some time walking through a K-Mart and thanking the Lord for all he had given me, salvation, peace, the Holy Spirit, and so forth. As I was walking past the framed decor I noticed a framed picture of Jesus in the arms of Mary. My heart just melted with another flood of thank-yous for his mercy and grace and willingness to come and save us. It was fairly early in the morning and the store was practically empty. As I was ruminating in his grace and I looked down an isle and had a colorful open eyed vision of Jesus in the middle of a crowded area ( although there was actually no one else around). He was looking straight at me with eyes of love that so overwhelmed that I actually almost completely passed out in the store. When I realized that I nearly fainted at his overwhelming presence of love I had to hold back the laughter that almost over took me. I quickly left the store but have never forgotten that incredible experience.
Although you may not have ever experienced a vision or even his overwhelming love like that, I just want to tell you that He not only loves you the same but is calling out to you to just baste in His presence. He will cover you with His banner of love- and if you don’t feel it like you want to feel it just know that His Word is true, he cannot lie.
” But God commendeth His love toward us (YOU), in that, while we (YOU) were yet sinners, Christ died for us (YOU)” Romans 5:8
As we read in the book Fervent, knowing and remembering who we are in Christ is crucial to our prayer life. So many of us live with regret that we weren’t born in more stable homes or that we wish we would have made better choices. Now regretting things we had done or what has been done to us- leaving us with insecurities and crippled with self-doubt. We see others that seeming have it all together and wish we were them; it often leaves us believing that we don’t have anything to offer.
If we do not get into the Word we will not be able to see the light and find out that the Lord has made us children of God, children of the Light- alive and fully equipped to stand firm against the darkness and the lies of the enemy.
Reading in Ephesians will remind us of the many spiritual gifts he has lavished on us. Please read all of Ephesians and underline what he says about you and me as well as what he has lavished on us.
The first 14 verses is overwhelming when you know that God’s Word is true, and this is just a starting point for a list of who we are as well as his gifts to us:
Ephesians 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God’s holy people in Ephesus,[a] the faithful in Christ Jesus:2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.11 In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
The strategy of the Word and prayer is to receive written proof of what God has done and created us, called us, and empowered us to. When we cooperate with Him in prayer it stamps these truths into our hearts. When we access them and engage them it draws down their power into our everyday experience. It will energize us with holy confidence.
Study about the spiritual armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18. Seek a deeper understanding about the ‘belt of truth’. Truth is our foundation; God’s standard and viewpoint about us, it must come first in our hearts and minds if we want to be effective in the battle against the enemy!
Rom 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
It is time to begin the battle on our knees. We are already seated in heavenly places. We’re fully functional with weapons our enemy has no answer for. Because you are His…and He is yours.
For years I was unable to recognize anything of worth within me until I started seeing the beauty of Christ in me as I grew closer to Him; that changed my self-image of a broken, unlovable, and worthless person to what He says I am!
As I was clearing our land to build a house a couple of years ago, there were many vines that had to be pulled off of trees that were attempting to survive after being choked by the tighten vines that had in most cases stunted their grow for years. Many of the small trees were deformed or had grown in crooked ways. Their deformed growth pattern had created very interesting and pretty growth patterns, however, many of them were limited in their ability to grow tall and strong as God intended trees to be. As I was praying while in the process of pulling the vines off the trees the Lord spoke to my heart that this was also the way the enemy of our souls has stunted the spiritual growth of many Christians. In many cases it may have originated from the suffocating vine of rejection or some other type of childhood trauma that caused their inability to grow strong in the Lord. It may have started with a deadly vine of unforgiveness in their soul due to taking on an offense. There are unlimited reasons , due to Satan’s, devious devises that would cause his evil tentacles to choke a baby, child, adult, or even a Christians ability to be all God intended him/or her to be for His glory. When Satan’s vines choke out the ability of God’s Word to touch our hearts most of us develop a low self-esteem, unbelief, and self-doubt separating us from God’s truth.
God’s Word gives us a clear picture when we look into His view of us through His Word. We can then walk in confidence that Christ love for us even when we have been hurt and broken; our stunted growth can be turned to beauty in the eyes of the Lord.
Isaiah 61:3 to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
Don’t let the enemy of your soul steal one more day of the identity that Christ gave you. Submit to Him, ask forgiveness for believing a lie, turn from all sin, forgive all those who have hurt you, draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Open your eyes to the beauty that He has given you- the beauty of Christ within you, the Hope of Glory!
Knowing who you are in Christ will give you confidence in prayer against the wiles of the enemy.).
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Fervent April 13, 2020- Strategy 4; Your family
Why is it important to pray for your family?
Because our families are a big deal to God! And the enemy wants to destroy the family since we are the billboard for the eternal, unchangeable love story between God and man. It is easy to see how the enemy of our soul is hard at work trying to destroy our families, the lives of our children as well as our marriages.
The family represents the mystery of the gospel in active, living form. Read Eph. 5:22-33, it tells us the husband and wife relationship is meant to be a living witness to others the love of Christ for His church.
So, when there is tension, disharmony, outburst, or strife in the home- look to the real culprit!
We need to be able to discern who is behind the cause of the battleground. The enemy of our soul wants nothing more than to destroy what God has put together. Satan is the one who is invested in sending each of us out the door, vulnerable and susceptible to temptation, and needy for the unconditional love we as a family should be giving each other.
Satan wants to tarnish your family’s picture of the gospel, smeared in the mud of failure! How do you recognize him; wherever discord is present -he is not far behind!
But maybe he wasn’t counting on a woman who’s had enough! Enough to start taking some prayer action!
If it is your marriage: (read 1 Corinthians 12)
1. Stop trying to be the Holy Spirit
2. Respect your husband
3. Pray for your husband
4. Be a safe place for him to land
God can touch the root of his problem. Even when things seem to be going real well the enemy is waiting to attack- keep him in your prayers!
If it is your children: (Ps. 127:4)
1. Pray specifically
We should be praying for other family members, nieces, nephews, etc.. The family is one of the key axis points of God’s purpose on earth. And your family, at the point of your sphere of influence. They need you not to be on their backs, not up in their face, but on your knees!
Time to assume a new fighting position!
Some scriptures to pray and live by.
1. 1 Cor 13:4-7
2. Titus 2:4-5
3. 1 Peter 3:1-2
4. 1Cor 7:16
5. Prov 31:11
6. Prov 16:3, 7
7. Prov 4:6-8
8. Prov 3:5-6
My husband and I have been married 17 years. We have seen our share of struggles (especially when I failed to recognize who the real enemy was).
I want to share one experience that happened many years ago. We moved to SC and my husband was having a difficult time finding a job. As I prayed for him, the Lord gave me peace and a word for him. I told him he wasn’t going to have to find a job- ‘the job would come to him’. He was shocked when shortly after this word was given, he was talking to the man in front of him at Lowes, and the conversation turned into an instant job offer for him. He was very surprised and took the offer.
During this opportunity that the Lord had given him. He quickly grew in position and became a regional manager. He was a contractor and was given many stores to oversee remodeling in Georgia, NC and SC. After a few months I noticed a spirit of pride and arrogance began to set in.
He introduced me to one of his female managers. She dressed very seductively and it was obvious that she attempted to set up times for them to be at the same store as well as told him that she wanted to set up opportunities to have them meet for “business” over dinner.
I went to my knees- praying that God would expose any hidden agendas and plans as well as bring him back to his knees and right relationship with Christ. The Lord gave me another word that’ he was going to lose his job but for me to trust Him’. I told my husband, “if you lose your job, it will be fine because the Lord will supply”.
He had no reason to think he was going to lose his job. However, within a few months, he was driving to work when he received a phone call from his regional manager saying, “ they no longer needed him, as of that day”.
When he called to tell me that he was just laid off, I calmly let him know, ‘he would be ok!”
He said, “you didn’t hear me, I LOST MY JOB!” I reminded him what the Lord had told me.
He repented of pride and haughty spirit as well admitted that he had been tempted by the female manger and felt relieved that he was no longer under the pressure and temptations that he had faced.
We now laugh over how God moved in this situation since it was so obviously God’s answer to prayer!
Please share one of your stories of God’s answer to specific prayers that you have prayed for your husband, children, or other family member.
Our testimony can encourage others that maybe struggling!
Also, if you are needing prayer for anything, please call or text me- Mendy 864-205-9768.
Fervent- 4/20/2020 Your Past
Isn’t the Lord always timely! Currently, the enemy attempted to bring up my failures as a mom and bad decisions I made causing heartache for the issues my son is dealing with. But God!! He is so faithful! I choose to pray and believe that he is greater than my past, greater than my failures, and that the Lord will move on the heart of my son for salvation and deliverance in spite of my past bad choices that affected him!
Just like Priscilla describes in her book- Satan carefully archives footage of our history to use against us especially when we hurt for those, we injured through our decisions. If you are anything like me, you have heard it over and over in your mind. That is why it is so easy for us to live in shame, verses assurance.
But prayer-fervent, strategic prayer- can change things. Nothing is impossible with God! Although God does not remove every natural consequence, he gave us prayer to rise above the level of Satan’s assaults, when we sing His praises while you walk away with God’s pardon in your heart!
God does not live in our past. When you are alone with God, he sees you as you are and have been since you placed your trust in Jesus. He forgives your guilt and removes your shame and declares you as blameless and righteous; past, present, and future.
We only live by grace anyway- bringing glory to God for what Jesus did for us and through the forgiveness of our sins! The gospel does not eliminate our past but thoroughly deals with it. He transforms all our mess into a huge mountain of grace that brings us closer to Him!
Do not allow the enemy to make you think your past is worse than others. We are all on the journey and struggle. None of us are perfect, but prayer wakes us up to the mercies of God, “they are new every morning”!
As you begin crafting a strategy for crushing Satan’s backdoor assault on your daily freedom and joy think on these things.
1. Praise- thank Him for completely forgiving you, cleansing you, and changing you.
2. Repentance-see the foolishness of anything that perpetuates old sin patterns, and by His Spirit walk away
3. Ask- for freedom, for release, for the ability to deflect lies and embrace truth
4. Yes- you can walk in new life, because of His resurrection power
Read:
2 Cor 5:17
Eph 2:1-5
Isa. 43:16, 18-19
Ps. 30:4-5
Isa 40:29-31
2 Cor 12:9
Heb 13:8
Fervent strategy 6 “Your Fears” – 4/28/2020
What are you afraid of?
Speaking in public.
Witnessing to strangers.
Failure.
New job.
New ministry.
We all have some fear. It is not the same in any of us. We all have different past experiences that may have caused or created that fear.
Do not let fear stop you from moving forward! No matter how we ‘feel’, we should obey God and his direction stepping out past our fears and into obedience of the Lord’s calling and direction for our lives.
Fear is one of Satan’s primary schemes to cripple God’s people. It can keep us up all night with anxiety, fear can destroy our health. Fear can paralyze us from God’s perfect plan for our life.
Whenever you sense a ‘spirit of fear’ in any part of your life, you can know it is not from God!
In the story of Moses taking the children of Israel to the promise land and they became pinned at the Red Sea with no escape. In Exodus 14:13 Moses told the people, “Do not fear!”. Notice he did not say ‘not to feel fear’!
We are not to choose fear, not to make friends with fear, not to entertain fear, do not engage in fear!
For if we do – like the children of Israel we risk not seeing the miracles of God in our life or getting to the other side- to the promise land of milk and honey- our destiny!
That is what Satan hopes he can keep us from obtaining- our destiny!
The issue of fear is addressed over 300 times in the scriptures. The Lord is telling us in many ways, ‘Do not fear’- the enemy of our soul tells us,’ be very afraid’.
Fear is the opposite of faith. Faith is what allows you to step foot on the soil of your destiny.
If God is giving clear direction, that is confirmed in His Word, and backed wit godly counsel- and your real reason to not step out is fear- then you are on the threshold of disobedience!
In fervent prayer, you can discover; our God is fearless giving us the strength to be fearless as well.
Walk on. Have faith. Fear not.
Prayer is the difference maker. Just tell Him how you feel- infusing it with assurance and confidence that comes from His promises.
Remember your worries are deliberate strategies for Satan to derail you from your calling. The way to fight them is through deliberate prayer strategy of your own. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!
Scriptures for encouragement:
Ps 56:2-4
2 Tim 1:7
Jer 1:4-8
John 14:27
Jer. 29:11
Ps. 32:8
Luke 21:15
John 10:27-29
Heb. 10:19-20, 23
Fervent strategy 7: Your Purity
Don’t touch that!
The moral compromise, unhealthy habit, enticing addiction, lure to sexual impurity is a ploy of the evil one during a times that we are most vulnerable. Satan tempted Christ after he came out of the wilderness from forty days of fasting; he was hungry, alone, tired, and depleted.
It is revealing that Satan’s attacks are not coincidence or happenstance- but calculated and planned!
Before you touch it- remember where it’s been! Recognize the scent of temptation in the air! As soon as you say yes- you are headed there. It may be back to the place that Christ redeemed you from or another place that entraps you in sin.
You need the prayer strategy that treats every temptation as the potent, life-threating stick of dynamite that it is.
When we are obedient to God the intimacy and nearness along with divine blessing and favor gives us strength to overcome. This is how God’s spiritual economy works. Sin always has consequences; therefore, disobedience always creates a sense of distance, loss, grief, and regret, affecting your connection with the Father.
Impurity weakens your praying and power in Christ. Our Spiritual armor becomes little more than plastic and our prayers are choked off and shorted out.
Prayers that have power come from a person in pursuit of righteous living. We must strategize our prayers for the daily ongoing protection of our purity. It will keep us on guard and sensitive to Satan’s clever decoys and sensitive to his ploy’s. The devil’s strategy is to make us believe impurity is ‘normal’.
We must choose righteousness and commit to pray fervently and consistently in order to recognize the ploys of the enemy. God calls you to purity because He wants your heart protected and at rest. He wants us free to bless and encourage others, to receive and celebrate His goodness, to become a prayer warrior in God’s kingdom.
God is now inviting you to realms of glory where He is your King and our individual sin is subject to His power. Yield yourself to Him in prayer, let God Himself build up your strength, enabling you by His resurrection power to passionately pursue righteousness. Strategize your obedience as diligently as the enemy is strategizing those temptations!
Rom. 8:1-2
Rom. 6:12-14, 21-23
Gal. 5:16
1 Cor. 10:13
Eph. 6:14
Ps. 73:26
2 Peter 2:9
Ps. 91:7,9
Fervent strategy 8 ‘Your Pressures’
What are your pressures?
To stay ahead, must help in every ministry you are asked, to look a certain way, to be the perfect mom or wife?
The enemy’s intention is to enslave you, and have you ever noticed how many of the pressures in your life resemble slavery, whether it be something of good or evil? Slaves don’t rest they work! The enemy of our soul likes to keep us bound up and bogged down by all the sins Christ has already died to set you free from. ‘And it was for freedom that Christ set us free: therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). Enough can be enough- not just on our calendars but in every area of our lives.
Not everything we are task with doing should fit into our day. But a free woman possesses God-given ability to know when He is truly asking her to do something- as well as the God-given ability to know when He’s not.
Jesus said, ‘For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’. ( Matt. 11:30)
Not every good thing is a God thing. Secondly, fear and insecurity come into play in your pressures. Our insecurity makes us fear what others will think of us if we don’t do everything, they deem to be required of us or don’t acquire enough to impress them. It’s why we turn to Christian living into legalism for fear that God will be displeased. That is why we don’t know how to sit still. It is intimidation, based on lies and fear. Fear we won’t be enough.
Your value is not in what you do but who you are. You have already received approval from the One who counts- He has placed great value on you, that is enough. All your endeavors, possessions, and hobbies are meant to bring you joy and blessings and enhance your relationships. They are not supposed to be nothing but pressure. So, if that is how you feel at the end of the day, you are bullied by a liar and motivated by fear and insecurity.
Pressure can also often be a mask for idolatry. The pressure to maintain a jam-packed schedule, self-reliance, maintain an impressive lifestyle, our hearts can make an idol of anything.
The primary purpose of Sabbath margins-of saying no, when appropriate-is to diminish our devotion to all other suitors and crystallize our allegiance to God. Unmanageable, pressure is not just another nagging problem in your day but an attack against your full devotion to God as your one and only Lord.
This one life is all we’ve got, it will never stop being hard, but we have not been put here to be slaves.
We’re not of the “bondwoman” but a “freewoman”, Gal. 4:31. It is time we start living ang praying like one. When we become strategic and focused in our prayer, God will not only begin the process of tearing us free, but He will weave new threads of peace, rest, and contentment into their place.
Ask the Lord for real discernment regarding your schedule, motivations, and current status of material goods and the pressures to keep up. By the power of the Holy Spirit, ask Him to help you gain control of your schedule, and establish boundaries based on the truth of His wise Word, your destiny will come into clearer focus.
Scripture that apply:
Ps 62:1-2
Ps. 61:2-4
Ps 147:10-11
Ps. 71:5-6
Ps 81:10
Isa. 58:13-14
John 8:32
Duet. 5:15
Heb. 13:5
Matt 6:33
Ps. 37:4
As I was in prayer this morning all I could think about were those all around me- suffering and in pain. Those that are struggling with addictions, fear, depression, loss of home or family due to disaster or illness with the current covid 19 or other sickness, hurting, suicidal, job losses, on and on.
You know them- your friends, family, strangers, children that are abused and many others suffering. We SEE it in our families, friends, hear it on the news.
HOPE- what does that mean to you?
The Strong’s dictionary’s definition says it a primary word (to anticipate usually with pleasure) expectation or confidence: faith hope
Do you have faith and hope in the middle of this storm we are all going through? If you have made Christ, your all and all and Lord of your life- you have HOPE!
It may be whatever ‘storm’ you are going through you have lost hope. I am here to encourage my sisters in Christ to read Hebrews 6:16-20. Verse 19 reminds us ‘we have hope as our anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast’, (so it is with the believer who has the hope of eternal life anchored safe in heaven, Dakes bible commentary).
‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you’, James 4:8. Don’t let the weight of all that is going on around us overwhelm you. Keep your eyes on Jesus and trust. John 3:35 says ‘the Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands’. If He is our Hope, then he is our anchor and we cannot be moved!
If any of you have not fully trusted in Him- John 15:13 tells us, ‘no one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends’. Give your life and total submission to the one that died for you! He and He alone can be your hope.
If you would like prayer please call or text me at 864-205-9768
Fervent 9 ‘Your Hurts’
WOW! Who hasn’t been ‘hurt’? Who doesn’t have wounds from words spoken to you or about you?
All of us have past or present wounds!
The enemy of our soul wants to keep us hurt and wounded- this could ensure that our hearts would become and stay harden with anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness towards others.
2 Cor. 2:5-7 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent-not to put it too severely. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
2 Cor.2:8-11 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven-if there was anything to forgive-I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
Unforgiveness is a strategic ‘design’ from the enemy to outwit us and cripple our effectiveness in prayer.
Your unforgiveness can ruin your prayer life. Even low-level infractions make a point and speaks to a purpose that applies to every offense that comes at us.
Your enemy wants you long-term angry. He can use the lightest offense to do it. He wants us bitter and our hearts hardened and crippled by our past.
Unforgiveness will keep you bruised and bleeding as well as unable to experience any power in your prayers and intimacy with the Father.
Nobody needs to tell you how bad you’re hurting from injustices in your life. But forgive anyway! Not because it’s easy but because your enemy gets exactly what he wants from you otherwise, forgive anyway. Not only for the other person but mostly for you- so you can be free and full and whole and complete.
If you feel hopelessly, intolerably, resistant toward forgiving those that have offended you- just know the devil is behind this. He has been strategizing how to suck all the power out of your prayer life. Out of your whole life.
Make no mistake it is his doing, by specific design. He wants to redefine how you think about God, yourself, and others. He wants you fixated and desiring payback, getting revenge. He wants you sobbing or even better seething, where it cooks the inside of you, baking with unforgiveness.
But Jesus wants you free. He taught us to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12.
The whole counsel of scripture affirms that our salvation (our eternal security with God) is based solely on the work of Jesus on the cross. There is no action or inaction on our part that can sever the covenant of grace that He’s made with us.
But something happens to our experience with the Father when we persist in holding others sins against them. Unforgiveness puts us in prime position for demonic influence and activity to take advantage of us.
When you choose to forgive, your not wiping their actions away as if bad things didn’t happen, you’re just sparing yourself the burden of working two extra jobs- being judge and jury for how justice is metered out of the situation.
His forgiveness …is freedom and makes your forgiveness possible toward others. Remembering what Christ redemption has done for you will make you eager to do it for another.
Ephesians 2:1, 4-5 1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, … 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.
And the forgiveness you don’t have any desire to give right now can be amazingly enabled through prayer. Prayer gets at the truth. The real facts and details don’t change as you get real with God in prayer. But get ready for some other pieces of information to come to the surface as the Spirit and the Scripture come together in agreement on how to handle things.
If we want to be a woman of serious, fervent prayer, the Scripture will always lead us to forgiveness. Forgiveness is God’s command. You cannot expect to experience freedom, peace, or rest from your anger until you do.
Gal 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…
Scriptures to study
Luke 4:18
Prov 11:17
Mark 11:25
Eph. 4:31-32
Rom. 12:19-21
Eph 4:26-27
Heb 5:44-45
Col 3:12-13
Luke 17:4
1 John 2:12
Just a side note:
For those of you that have very deep wounds from past offenses and violations against you that have caused deep emotional wounds- please seek counseling or help to overcome and get victory in this area.
Forgiveness is for you!
There are a number of human hearts that have been disparaged and broken by fellow believers, by people who are supposed to be fighting with us, or the lifelong friend that we have shared our most intimate details with. When it happens in our most vital relationships is almost always code for enemy activity. He knows his odds of success jump markedly whenever he can cause heart-wrenching division between us, isolate one or two of us, separate us into warring or stonewalled camps.
We cannot leave these kinds of openings for the enemy to infiltrate.
One of our most important strategies- a call for our most fervent praying- must be to stand against all forms of disharmony in our relationships and battle for oneness among ourselves and all of God’s people. Together we are a mighty force and Satan knows it.
He hates when we are unified as a couple, a family, a local church, as well as the global church. He hates when we are all praying for one another’s needs, potential, mission, and unity.
This frustrates the enemy’s plan to no end! Is this mysterious gelling of people from various backgrounds, experiences, personality types, races, and traditions-the kinds of differences that should keep us from being able to get along, much less work together for the kingdom purposes or to care how one another is growing in faith and perseverance.
The bible calls it ‘dividing wall’ or in NLT ‘wall of hostility’.
Ephesians 2:14, NLT: “For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.”
If we are not praying for unity-seriously, specifically, strategically- we’re leaving our hopes for togetherness to patterns of emotion, misunderstanding, and imposed pressure from outside sources and circumstances.
Prayer greases the friction between us. Prayer helps us stay focused on bigger things, eternal things. In prayer we experience the kind of hard-fought peace that unites us into an army of soldiers for Christ.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace with God, No more fear of condemnation.
So whatever lack of peace you or I may feel with God, it is always coming from a source that is NOT God because He has already blown down every door that keeps us from experiencing total peace with Him.
Our peace with God infuses us with the peace of God.
The peace of God helps us navigate the will of God. This is why Satan is always trying to separate friends and churches.
Friends who forgive, sisters in Christ whose relationship is an inspiration, husbands and wives who clearly love each other with a passionate sense of loyalty and unity, churches and denominations that are known for celebrating their commonalities more than arguing about their differences- those are the kind of people who best entice others out of their loneliness, pain, and despair to seek their own peace with God.
We shouldn’t be surprised when he causes division and disharmony throughout the body of Christ. He will do it in your own personal relationships as well.
Start identifying the most common tools of division and disunity the enemy employs to your key relationships.
James 3:14-16 NIV 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
Jealousy- never wanting to take a backseat to someone else’s success or growth pattern.
Bitterness- irritations that have simmered inside you long enough until they’ve turned into intolerable dislikes
Self-ambition- the desire to dominate or come out looking better than someone else
Arrogance- thinking you’re the most right on differences of opinion
These are just a few areas to evaluate yourself with.
Our job is to keep the truth where we can’t help but see it and to pray that we can identify the enemy’s activity both in ourselves and in others. Then we can craft a prayer strategy with peace in mind, leading to peace of mind for ourselves and the ones we love.
Helpful scripture;
Col 3:15
Romans 14:19
Eph 4:14
1 John 3:18
Romans 14:13
Gal 5:26
Heb 10:24-25
Ps. 133:1-3
Phil. 2:2-4
1 Cor. 12:25
Welcome to the House of God’s womens bible study Blog!
Hello Sisters,
I am so grateful that we have a medium to carry on with our bible study as well as relationship with each other. It may take a little while to get used to , however, hopefully it become active with chatter of ideas, input, and a non-stopped conversation of activity.
Please share your thoughts, ideas, questions, and prayer concerns in this blog. You can share day or night as it is open to all that want to participate and draw near to the Lord. As we grow I would like it to reach those who maynot know the Lord and would be open enough to say they would like to recieve him as Savior. Please feel free to e-mail me or Marsha if you have any private prayer request or concerns.
Remember- this Blog is not limited to the bible study, so use it as a connecting with your sisters tool!
Bible study from the book “Fervent’.
YOUR PASSION-March 22, 2020
2 Kings 6:1-7
This is such a great story! I will admit I never saw what the Lord was trying to show us in it. I just always thought what a great God we have that could make an axehead float. I wasn’t able to gleen the concept of getting back our passion.
There are times, if we admit it, that most of have lost our passion. I know there have been times that I have become too busy, too preoccupied, too consumed with ‘other’ things to recongnize having even lost the passion.
BUT God! He is faithful to bring us back to him!
Our fellowship and communion with God is essential ( John 15:4 (Abide in me, and I in you . As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine: no more can ye , except ye abide in me.”)
They were in a building program. wanting to build a better place! They recognized their need and were anxious to get on with preparing it. Matt 28:19 tells us (“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Ghost.”)
It’s kinda what we are doing, we are recongnizing our need for a deeper walk with Christ. We are seeking our temple to be a better dwelling place for the Lord to ‘Go ye therefore…’.
According to verse 4 , everyone joined in the task. They were energetic, ready, and equipped with all the right tools- including passion! ( that’s where I see us!)
Verse 5 Oh-no! one of the workers LOST their cutting edge- (the Lord had loaned them). Their passion had now been lost!
We need to remember that according to Zech 4:6 …the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, not by might , nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
1 Cor 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
All of our ability, strength, and passion comes from and belongs to HIm!
We can’t drum it up, however, we can have become to busy, preoccupied, or have lost interest in the things of God.
When recognized we can then say what Job said in JOB 23:3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!
If God can make an axhead swim, He can resore one of HIs own children!!
So what is the Lord showing us in these verses on how to regain that Passion?
1. The axhead has now been lost- we have to stop working. Stop trying on your own. Luke 24:49 behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
2. We need to confess, if we have failed in this area. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is failthful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all rightousness.
We need to show the Lord where we lost our ax head ( effectiveness).
Did we give up our private devotions, did we stop attending the house of God, were we offended or maybe had secret sin??
In verse 6 the man of God asked him , Where did it fall?
You will never recover your axhead until you tell the Lord just where you lost it.
In verse 7 The man of God said to take it up. And he put out his hand to take it.
You are here for a reason- search your heart, wait on Him, confess areas of failure, lift your hands to heaven and step out in faith!!!!
Take up the Passion that the Lord is giving you! Don’t believe the lie of the enemy that it is for everyone but you- it is for YOU!!!
Hosea 14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: mine anger is tuned away!
This is my prayer today;
Lord, I thank you so much for your lovingkindess! So many times I fall down but you are there to pick me up! I ask forgiviness for becoming lazy at times and failing to seek your heart and the things of God. I love you and am asking that you fill me with your Spirit and PASSION. Passion for You, your Word, your people, and those that don’t know you! Create in me a new heart! I thank you for what you have done and what you are going to do! In the name of Jesus!
I love you all, Mendy
March 23, 2020 Thought for the Day
Have you been asking what God’s will is for you?
Well, here is the short-to-the-point God’s will for you;
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thess 5:18
😊
3/24/20 Thought for the Day
TEST POSITIVE- in Faith
Mark 11:22-24 New International Version (NIV)
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ❤
Remember this blog is for all of us to communicate with each other.
Please put your prayer request or encouraging word to the body of Christ!
It is awesome that even in a time we are restricted by personal distance or ability to meet- we have a wonderful opportunity to comment, give your favorite verses, encourage, pray, and lift each other up through this blog.
Don’t be shy!
I pray that you will be touched by God’s presence and comfort this day, in the name of Jesus!
Crystal Hamilton ( one of our church attendants)has given permission for me to share that she needs prayer regarding her health. She is currently dealing with an ear infection, possible strep throat and respiratory infection. She has suffered many health issues that complicate her current illness. Please agree with me for her quick recovery and keep her in your daily prayers!
Praying
I was reading in Luke 22 this morning for my devotions. As I meditated on verse 31-34
Luke 22:31-34 New International Version (NIV)
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
It is easy for me to currently think whatever trial comes my way I will be strong and not falter in my faith. However, the truth is I will be like Peter, I will be as afraid as anyone else! But I want to encourage each of you, as well as myself- verse 32 says Jesus is praying for us that our faith may not fail. He also directs us to strengthen our brothers/sisters when we turn back.
I want to encourage each of you now, that the trials we are currently facing and those to come may briefly cause our faith to fail, BUT GOD, He will lift us up, strengthen us, and empower us to walk in His might! Keep your eyes on Jesus!
Please share what’s on your heart regarding your current fears with the virus. We need to keep each other strengthened.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Good Day Everyone I woke today with this song on my heart. This is the Day This is the Day, This is the Day that the Lord had made, that the Lord had made let us rejoice, let us rejoice and be Glad in it, and be glad in it! This is the Day that the Lord hath made let us rejoice and be Glad in it!!
No matter what it looks like all around us God is for us not against us !!
I have been young, and now am old: yet I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” Ps.37:25
Amen sister!
I should have added to the share fears- and ‘encouraging words’! We need to keep positive and know that our HOPE is in HIM!!!
When I was going to school a few years ago ( I didn’t obtain my bachelor degree until I was 60 years old-quit laughing 🤣)but my point in saying that ; we had to use the ‘blackboard’ to communicate with each other as a group. I didn’t like the idea until I started using it. It became a place of interesting ideas and comments. It was fun to see what others were thinking and getting to know them through this way of communication. Please don’t be shy- lets use this opportunity to get to know each other better!!
PS- keeping positive doesn’t mean you can’t express a having hard time. It gives those that are feeling strong when you are weak a chance to reach out- vise versa when needed!
This group is private for women of our church as well as our friends and family- no men and not open to the world.
Focus- What a timely word March 30, 2020
Anyone having problems focusing??
I know for one, I am!
It really takes a little more discipline to get past all the current events and news to focus on the only one (Christ) and know as we pray and cast all our cares upon Him that He will perform His Word.
The bombardment of the current events can cause us to focus more on what the enemy is doing vs what God is doing. We need to see that God is reaching more people via online churches and the desperate need to call out to Him since 9/11. That is a Praise God report! We need to see how families spending more time together and realizing what’s important. Many of us have more time to spend with Him than before- due to being forced to stay home.
We need to clear our minds from all that causes the clutter- and began to use this time to pray for our unsaved family, friends, and the world!
Just like the book ‘Fervent ‘says focus will protect your dreams and goals from being consumed by the fear of current events, life’s struggles, family situations, other issues, and what ‘they’ say the future may bring. If we are more focused on the visible and physical instead of where the action really is we can easily become preoccupied, depressed, and overwhelmed.
Our struggle is not against flesh and blood (what you can see) but against rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places Eph 6:12
We must pull back the curtain, open our spiritual eyes, and become more aware of how the enemy is playing on our minds during these trying times verses seeing life through an eye-opening experience as to what God is doing as we go to Him in prayer.
Ephesians 6:10-11 Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might by putting on the full armor of God and thereby becoming able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 6:14-17 New International Version (NIV)
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Truth-God’s standard; unchanging
Righteousness- right living; honoring God
Peace-deep, inner; living harmoniously with others
Faith- what we believe, putting feet to our belief
Salvation-eternal security; including victorious living
The Word of God; His Word for you today
Prayer infuses our armor with the Power of God Himself!
We need to walk in victory and claim what is ours!!
Ask Him to help you take the attention and emotional energy off all the circumstances that are engulfing us and refocus our attention on the King of Kings and His glory and spend time with Him in bible reading , meditation on His Word, and prayer!
Please share your victories or concerns with this group so we can rejoice or pray for each other during this time!
Remember you are the church, we are the body of Christ, we don’t need a building to function as a church. We can encourage each other in this format until we can meet again!
I want to put out a challenge to all of you- I know that many days I spend more time looking at the news to see what’s going on in the world of Corona virus than what God is doing . Does anyone want to join me in a’ news’ fasting on April 1st? We can fast (news) from 8am to 8pm and purpose to spend at least 30 minutes to one hour in the Word.
Then on Thursday if you feel led, share what the Lord speaks to your heart during that time.
I love you all,
Mendy
OK, this is this ‘news junkie’ day of fasting the news!
Just saw the quotes
” True faith is keeping your eyes on the Lord when the world around you is falling apart.”
Don’t focus on your adversaries. Focus on God’s possibilities”
Not sure if it is the nurse in me that has kept me so engrossed to the covid19 virus news or how it so aligns with the end times. But I am laying it down and ready for the 12hour fast of the news!
Is anyone else out there with me! We may need to connect today when the withdrawals start!🤣❤ Keeping my eyes on Jesus!
Good Morning Great Word !! YES I will follow suit with you on the news. its time to shut out the voice of discouragement, Lets have a Jesus filled Worship Day !!!!! Love to all my sisters if you need anything call 864-200-5308 PS Mindy there reading just not replying yet.. Keep up the Good work Spread Encouragement..
Well , sorry I didn’t follow up yesterday, I had a great day on the 1st! I focused on the Lord and what He is doing in and through the church. It is encouraging to see how many in the body of Christ are drawing nearer to Him as well.
Yesterday I did go shopping for needed supply’s- with gloves and a mask ! We need to keep ourselves safe and protected from the covid19 virus.
I am looking forward to life getting to ‘normal in social distancing” ( missing seeing friends) but pray that we as a nation , church, and world continue to grow closer to Him.
Take this time to spend with Him, meditate on His Word, and give God the glory for what he is going to do!
Be blessed dear sisters!
I just felt led to share one of the only two visions I have had since I gave my life to Christ in 1996.
I was just wasting some time walking through a K-Mart and thanking the Lord for all he had given me, salvation, peace, the Holy Spirit, and so forth. As I was walking past the framed decor I noticed a framed picture of Jesus in the arms of Mary. My heart just melted with another flood of thank-yous for his mercy and grace and willingness to come and save us. It was fairly early in the morning and the store was practically empty. As I was ruminating in his grace and I looked down an isle and had a colorful open eyed vision of Jesus in the middle of a crowded area ( although there was actually no one else around). He was looking straight at me with eyes of love that so overwhelmed that I actually almost completely passed out in the store. When I realized that I nearly fainted at his overwhelming presence of love I had to hold back the laughter that almost over took me. I quickly left the store but have never forgotten that incredible experience.
Although you may not have ever experienced a vision or even his overwhelming love like that, I just want to tell you that He not only loves you the same but is calling out to you to just baste in His presence. He will cover you with His banner of love- and if you don’t feel it like you want to feel it just know that His Word is true, he cannot lie.
” But God commendeth His love toward us (YOU), in that, while we (YOU) were yet sinners, Christ died for us (YOU)” Romans 5:8
Fervent- Your Identity
As we read in the book Fervent, knowing and remembering who we are in Christ is crucial to our prayer life. So many of us live with regret that we weren’t born in more stable homes or that we wish we would have made better choices. Now regretting things we had done or what has been done to us- leaving us with insecurities and crippled with self-doubt. We see others that seeming have it all together and wish we were them; it often leaves us believing that we don’t have anything to offer.
If we do not get into the Word we will not be able to see the light and find out that the Lord has made us children of God, children of the Light- alive and fully equipped to stand firm against the darkness and the lies of the enemy.
Reading in Ephesians will remind us of the many spiritual gifts he has lavished on us. Please read all of Ephesians and underline what he says about you and me as well as what he has lavished on us.
The first 14 verses is overwhelming when you know that God’s Word is true, and this is just a starting point for a list of who we are as well as his gifts to us:
Ephesians 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to God’s holy people in Ephesus,[a] the faithful in Christ Jesus:2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.11 In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
The strategy of the Word and prayer is to receive written proof of what God has done and created us, called us, and empowered us to. When we cooperate with Him in prayer it stamps these truths into our hearts. When we access them and engage them it draws down their power into our everyday experience. It will energize us with holy confidence.
Study about the spiritual armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18. Seek a deeper understanding about the ‘belt of truth’. Truth is our foundation; God’s standard and viewpoint about us, it must come first in our hearts and minds if we want to be effective in the battle against the enemy!
Rom 8:37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
It is time to begin the battle on our knees. We are already seated in heavenly places. We’re fully functional with weapons our enemy has no answer for. Because you are His…and He is yours.
For years I was unable to recognize anything of worth within me until I started seeing the beauty of Christ in me as I grew closer to Him; that changed my self-image of a broken, unlovable, and worthless person to what He says I am!
As I was clearing our land to build a house a couple of years ago, there were many vines that had to be pulled off of trees that were attempting to survive after being choked by the tighten vines that had in most cases stunted their grow for years. Many of the small trees were deformed or had grown in crooked ways. Their deformed growth pattern had created very interesting and pretty growth patterns, however, many of them were limited in their ability to grow tall and strong as God intended trees to be. As I was praying while in the process of pulling the vines off the trees the Lord spoke to my heart that this was also the way the enemy of our souls has stunted the spiritual growth of many Christians. In many cases it may have originated from the suffocating vine of rejection or some other type of childhood trauma that caused their inability to grow strong in the Lord. It may have started with a deadly vine of unforgiveness in their soul due to taking on an offense. There are unlimited reasons , due to Satan’s, devious devises that would cause his evil tentacles to choke a baby, child, adult, or even a Christians ability to be all God intended him/or her to be for His glory. When Satan’s vines choke out the ability of God’s Word to touch our hearts most of us develop a low self-esteem, unbelief, and self-doubt separating us from God’s truth.
God’s Word gives us a clear picture when we look into His view of us through His Word. We can then walk in confidence that Christ love for us even when we have been hurt and broken; our stunted growth can be turned to beauty in the eyes of the Lord.
Isaiah 61:3 to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
Don’t let the enemy of your soul steal one more day of the identity that Christ gave you. Submit to Him, ask forgiveness for believing a lie, turn from all sin, forgive all those who have hurt you, draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Open your eyes to the beauty that He has given you- the beauty of Christ within you, the Hope of Glory!
Knowing who you are in Christ will give you confidence in prayer against the wiles of the enemy.).
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Fervent April 13, 2020- Strategy 4; Your family
Why is it important to pray for your family?
Because our families are a big deal to God! And the enemy wants to destroy the family since we are the billboard for the eternal, unchangeable love story between God and man. It is easy to see how the enemy of our soul is hard at work trying to destroy our families, the lives of our children as well as our marriages.
The family represents the mystery of the gospel in active, living form. Read Eph. 5:22-33, it tells us the husband and wife relationship is meant to be a living witness to others the love of Christ for His church.
So, when there is tension, disharmony, outburst, or strife in the home- look to the real culprit!
We need to be able to discern who is behind the cause of the battleground. The enemy of our soul wants nothing more than to destroy what God has put together. Satan is the one who is invested in sending each of us out the door, vulnerable and susceptible to temptation, and needy for the unconditional love we as a family should be giving each other.
Satan wants to tarnish your family’s picture of the gospel, smeared in the mud of failure! How do you recognize him; wherever discord is present -he is not far behind!
But maybe he wasn’t counting on a woman who’s had enough! Enough to start taking some prayer action!
If it is your marriage: (read 1 Corinthians 12)
1. Stop trying to be the Holy Spirit
2. Respect your husband
3. Pray for your husband
4. Be a safe place for him to land
God can touch the root of his problem. Even when things seem to be going real well the enemy is waiting to attack- keep him in your prayers!
If it is your children: (Ps. 127:4)
1. Pray specifically
We should be praying for other family members, nieces, nephews, etc.. The family is one of the key axis points of God’s purpose on earth. And your family, at the point of your sphere of influence. They need you not to be on their backs, not up in their face, but on your knees!
Time to assume a new fighting position!
Some scriptures to pray and live by.
1. 1 Cor 13:4-7
2. Titus 2:4-5
3. 1 Peter 3:1-2
4. 1Cor 7:16
5. Prov 31:11
6. Prov 16:3, 7
7. Prov 4:6-8
8. Prov 3:5-6
My husband and I have been married 17 years. We have seen our share of struggles (especially when I failed to recognize who the real enemy was).
I want to share one experience that happened many years ago. We moved to SC and my husband was having a difficult time finding a job. As I prayed for him, the Lord gave me peace and a word for him. I told him he wasn’t going to have to find a job- ‘the job would come to him’. He was shocked when shortly after this word was given, he was talking to the man in front of him at Lowes, and the conversation turned into an instant job offer for him. He was very surprised and took the offer.
During this opportunity that the Lord had given him. He quickly grew in position and became a regional manager. He was a contractor and was given many stores to oversee remodeling in Georgia, NC and SC. After a few months I noticed a spirit of pride and arrogance began to set in.
He introduced me to one of his female managers. She dressed very seductively and it was obvious that she attempted to set up times for them to be at the same store as well as told him that she wanted to set up opportunities to have them meet for “business” over dinner.
I went to my knees- praying that God would expose any hidden agendas and plans as well as bring him back to his knees and right relationship with Christ. The Lord gave me another word that’ he was going to lose his job but for me to trust Him’. I told my husband, “if you lose your job, it will be fine because the Lord will supply”.
He had no reason to think he was going to lose his job. However, within a few months, he was driving to work when he received a phone call from his regional manager saying, “ they no longer needed him, as of that day”.
When he called to tell me that he was just laid off, I calmly let him know, ‘he would be ok!”
He said, “you didn’t hear me, I LOST MY JOB!” I reminded him what the Lord had told me.
He repented of pride and haughty spirit as well admitted that he had been tempted by the female manger and felt relieved that he was no longer under the pressure and temptations that he had faced.
We now laugh over how God moved in this situation since it was so obviously God’s answer to prayer!
Please share one of your stories of God’s answer to specific prayers that you have prayed for your husband, children, or other family member.
Our testimony can encourage others that maybe struggling!
Also, if you are needing prayer for anything, please call or text me- Mendy 864-205-9768.
Fervent- 4/20/2020 Your Past
Isn’t the Lord always timely! Currently, the enemy attempted to bring up my failures as a mom and bad decisions I made causing heartache for the issues my son is dealing with. But God!! He is so faithful! I choose to pray and believe that he is greater than my past, greater than my failures, and that the Lord will move on the heart of my son for salvation and deliverance in spite of my past bad choices that affected him!
Just like Priscilla describes in her book- Satan carefully archives footage of our history to use against us especially when we hurt for those, we injured through our decisions. If you are anything like me, you have heard it over and over in your mind. That is why it is so easy for us to live in shame, verses assurance.
But prayer-fervent, strategic prayer- can change things. Nothing is impossible with God! Although God does not remove every natural consequence, he gave us prayer to rise above the level of Satan’s assaults, when we sing His praises while you walk away with God’s pardon in your heart!
God does not live in our past. When you are alone with God, he sees you as you are and have been since you placed your trust in Jesus. He forgives your guilt and removes your shame and declares you as blameless and righteous; past, present, and future.
We only live by grace anyway- bringing glory to God for what Jesus did for us and through the forgiveness of our sins! The gospel does not eliminate our past but thoroughly deals with it. He transforms all our mess into a huge mountain of grace that brings us closer to Him!
Do not allow the enemy to make you think your past is worse than others. We are all on the journey and struggle. None of us are perfect, but prayer wakes us up to the mercies of God, “they are new every morning”!
As you begin crafting a strategy for crushing Satan’s backdoor assault on your daily freedom and joy think on these things.
1. Praise- thank Him for completely forgiving you, cleansing you, and changing you.
2. Repentance-see the foolishness of anything that perpetuates old sin patterns, and by His Spirit walk away
3. Ask- for freedom, for release, for the ability to deflect lies and embrace truth
4. Yes- you can walk in new life, because of His resurrection power
Read:
2 Cor 5:17
Eph 2:1-5
Isa. 43:16, 18-19
Ps. 30:4-5
Isa 40:29-31
2 Cor 12:9
Heb 13:8
Fervent strategy 6 “Your Fears” – 4/28/2020
What are you afraid of?
Speaking in public.
Witnessing to strangers.
Failure.
New job.
New ministry.
We all have some fear. It is not the same in any of us. We all have different past experiences that may have caused or created that fear.
Do not let fear stop you from moving forward! No matter how we ‘feel’, we should obey God and his direction stepping out past our fears and into obedience of the Lord’s calling and direction for our lives.
Fear is one of Satan’s primary schemes to cripple God’s people. It can keep us up all night with anxiety, fear can destroy our health. Fear can paralyze us from God’s perfect plan for our life.
Whenever you sense a ‘spirit of fear’ in any part of your life, you can know it is not from God!
In the story of Moses taking the children of Israel to the promise land and they became pinned at the Red Sea with no escape. In Exodus 14:13 Moses told the people, “Do not fear!”. Notice he did not say ‘not to feel fear’!
We are not to choose fear, not to make friends with fear, not to entertain fear, do not engage in fear!
For if we do – like the children of Israel we risk not seeing the miracles of God in our life or getting to the other side- to the promise land of milk and honey- our destiny!
That is what Satan hopes he can keep us from obtaining- our destiny!
The issue of fear is addressed over 300 times in the scriptures. The Lord is telling us in many ways, ‘Do not fear’- the enemy of our soul tells us,’ be very afraid’.
Fear is the opposite of faith. Faith is what allows you to step foot on the soil of your destiny.
If God is giving clear direction, that is confirmed in His Word, and backed wit godly counsel- and your real reason to not step out is fear- then you are on the threshold of disobedience!
In fervent prayer, you can discover; our God is fearless giving us the strength to be fearless as well.
Walk on. Have faith. Fear not.
Prayer is the difference maker. Just tell Him how you feel- infusing it with assurance and confidence that comes from His promises.
Remember your worries are deliberate strategies for Satan to derail you from your calling. The way to fight them is through deliberate prayer strategy of your own. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!
Scriptures for encouragement:
Ps 56:2-4
2 Tim 1:7
Jer 1:4-8
John 14:27
Jer. 29:11
Ps. 32:8
Luke 21:15
John 10:27-29
Heb. 10:19-20, 23
Fervent strategy 7: Your Purity
Don’t touch that!
The moral compromise, unhealthy habit, enticing addiction, lure to sexual impurity is a ploy of the evil one during a times that we are most vulnerable. Satan tempted Christ after he came out of the wilderness from forty days of fasting; he was hungry, alone, tired, and depleted.
It is revealing that Satan’s attacks are not coincidence or happenstance- but calculated and planned!
Before you touch it- remember where it’s been! Recognize the scent of temptation in the air! As soon as you say yes- you are headed there. It may be back to the place that Christ redeemed you from or another place that entraps you in sin.
You need the prayer strategy that treats every temptation as the potent, life-threating stick of dynamite that it is.
When we are obedient to God the intimacy and nearness along with divine blessing and favor gives us strength to overcome. This is how God’s spiritual economy works. Sin always has consequences; therefore, disobedience always creates a sense of distance, loss, grief, and regret, affecting your connection with the Father.
Impurity weakens your praying and power in Christ. Our Spiritual armor becomes little more than plastic and our prayers are choked off and shorted out.
Prayers that have power come from a person in pursuit of righteous living. We must strategize our prayers for the daily ongoing protection of our purity. It will keep us on guard and sensitive to Satan’s clever decoys and sensitive to his ploy’s. The devil’s strategy is to make us believe impurity is ‘normal’.
We must choose righteousness and commit to pray fervently and consistently in order to recognize the ploys of the enemy. God calls you to purity because He wants your heart protected and at rest. He wants us free to bless and encourage others, to receive and celebrate His goodness, to become a prayer warrior in God’s kingdom.
God is now inviting you to realms of glory where He is your King and our individual sin is subject to His power. Yield yourself to Him in prayer, let God Himself build up your strength, enabling you by His resurrection power to passionately pursue righteousness. Strategize your obedience as diligently as the enemy is strategizing those temptations!
Rom. 8:1-2
Rom. 6:12-14, 21-23
Gal. 5:16
1 Cor. 10:13
Eph. 6:14
Ps. 73:26
2 Peter 2:9
Ps. 91:7,9
Fervent strategy 8 ‘Your Pressures’
What are your pressures?
To stay ahead, must help in every ministry you are asked, to look a certain way, to be the perfect mom or wife?
The enemy’s intention is to enslave you, and have you ever noticed how many of the pressures in your life resemble slavery, whether it be something of good or evil? Slaves don’t rest they work! The enemy of our soul likes to keep us bound up and bogged down by all the sins Christ has already died to set you free from. ‘And it was for freedom that Christ set us free: therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). Enough can be enough- not just on our calendars but in every area of our lives.
Not everything we are task with doing should fit into our day. But a free woman possesses God-given ability to know when He is truly asking her to do something- as well as the God-given ability to know when He’s not.
Jesus said, ‘For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’. ( Matt. 11:30)
Not every good thing is a God thing. Secondly, fear and insecurity come into play in your pressures. Our insecurity makes us fear what others will think of us if we don’t do everything, they deem to be required of us or don’t acquire enough to impress them. It’s why we turn to Christian living into legalism for fear that God will be displeased. That is why we don’t know how to sit still. It is intimidation, based on lies and fear. Fear we won’t be enough.
Your value is not in what you do but who you are. You have already received approval from the One who counts- He has placed great value on you, that is enough. All your endeavors, possessions, and hobbies are meant to bring you joy and blessings and enhance your relationships. They are not supposed to be nothing but pressure. So, if that is how you feel at the end of the day, you are bullied by a liar and motivated by fear and insecurity.
Pressure can also often be a mask for idolatry. The pressure to maintain a jam-packed schedule, self-reliance, maintain an impressive lifestyle, our hearts can make an idol of anything.
The primary purpose of Sabbath margins-of saying no, when appropriate-is to diminish our devotion to all other suitors and crystallize our allegiance to God. Unmanageable, pressure is not just another nagging problem in your day but an attack against your full devotion to God as your one and only Lord.
This one life is all we’ve got, it will never stop being hard, but we have not been put here to be slaves.
We’re not of the “bondwoman” but a “freewoman”, Gal. 4:31. It is time we start living ang praying like one. When we become strategic and focused in our prayer, God will not only begin the process of tearing us free, but He will weave new threads of peace, rest, and contentment into their place.
Ask the Lord for real discernment regarding your schedule, motivations, and current status of material goods and the pressures to keep up. By the power of the Holy Spirit, ask Him to help you gain control of your schedule, and establish boundaries based on the truth of His wise Word, your destiny will come into clearer focus.
Scripture that apply:
Ps 62:1-2
Ps. 61:2-4
Ps 147:10-11
Ps. 71:5-6
Ps 81:10
Isa. 58:13-14
John 8:32
Duet. 5:15
Heb. 13:5
Matt 6:33
Ps. 37:4
HOPE
That is the word the Lord put on my heart today.
As I was in prayer this morning all I could think about were those all around me- suffering and in pain. Those that are struggling with addictions, fear, depression, loss of home or family due to disaster or illness with the current covid 19 or other sickness, hurting, suicidal, job losses, on and on.
You know them- your friends, family, strangers, children that are abused and many others suffering. We SEE it in our families, friends, hear it on the news.
HOPE- what does that mean to you?
The Strong’s dictionary’s definition says it a primary word (to anticipate usually with pleasure) expectation or confidence: faith hope
Do you have faith and hope in the middle of this storm we are all going through? If you have made Christ, your all and all and Lord of your life- you have HOPE!
It may be whatever ‘storm’ you are going through you have lost hope. I am here to encourage my sisters in Christ to read Hebrews 6:16-20. Verse 19 reminds us ‘we have hope as our anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast’, (so it is with the believer who has the hope of eternal life anchored safe in heaven, Dakes bible commentary).
‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you’, James 4:8. Don’t let the weight of all that is going on around us overwhelm you. Keep your eyes on Jesus and trust. John 3:35 says ‘the Father loves the Son and has placed everything in His hands’. If He is our Hope, then he is our anchor and we cannot be moved!
If any of you have not fully trusted in Him- John 15:13 tells us, ‘no one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends’. Give your life and total submission to the one that died for you! He and He alone can be your hope.
If you would like prayer please call or text me at 864-205-9768
Fervent 9 ‘Your Hurts’
WOW! Who hasn’t been ‘hurt’? Who doesn’t have wounds from words spoken to you or about you?
All of us have past or present wounds!
The enemy of our soul wants to keep us hurt and wounded- this could ensure that our hearts would become and stay harden with anger, bitterness, and unforgiveness towards others.
2 Cor. 2:5-7 If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent-not to put it too severely. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
2 Cor.2:8-11 I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven-if there was anything to forgive-I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
Unforgiveness is a strategic ‘design’ from the enemy to outwit us and cripple our effectiveness in prayer.
Your unforgiveness can ruin your prayer life. Even low-level infractions make a point and speaks to a purpose that applies to every offense that comes at us.
Your enemy wants you long-term angry. He can use the lightest offense to do it. He wants us bitter and our hearts hardened and crippled by our past.
Unforgiveness will keep you bruised and bleeding as well as unable to experience any power in your prayers and intimacy with the Father.
Nobody needs to tell you how bad you’re hurting from injustices in your life. But forgive anyway! Not because it’s easy but because your enemy gets exactly what he wants from you otherwise, forgive anyway. Not only for the other person but mostly for you- so you can be free and full and whole and complete.
If you feel hopelessly, intolerably, resistant toward forgiving those that have offended you- just know the devil is behind this. He has been strategizing how to suck all the power out of your prayer life. Out of your whole life.
Make no mistake it is his doing, by specific design. He wants to redefine how you think about God, yourself, and others. He wants you fixated and desiring payback, getting revenge. He wants you sobbing or even better seething, where it cooks the inside of you, baking with unforgiveness.
But Jesus wants you free. He taught us to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Matthew 6:12.
The whole counsel of scripture affirms that our salvation (our eternal security with God) is based solely on the work of Jesus on the cross. There is no action or inaction on our part that can sever the covenant of grace that He’s made with us.
But something happens to our experience with the Father when we persist in holding others sins against them. Unforgiveness puts us in prime position for demonic influence and activity to take advantage of us.
When you choose to forgive, your not wiping their actions away as if bad things didn’t happen, you’re just sparing yourself the burden of working two extra jobs- being judge and jury for how justice is metered out of the situation.
His forgiveness …is freedom and makes your forgiveness possible toward others. Remembering what Christ redemption has done for you will make you eager to do it for another.
Ephesians 2:1, 4-5 1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, … 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.
And the forgiveness you don’t have any desire to give right now can be amazingly enabled through prayer. Prayer gets at the truth. The real facts and details don’t change as you get real with God in prayer. But get ready for some other pieces of information to come to the surface as the Spirit and the Scripture come together in agreement on how to handle things.
If we want to be a woman of serious, fervent prayer, the Scripture will always lead us to forgiveness. Forgiveness is God’s command. You cannot expect to experience freedom, peace, or rest from your anger until you do.
Gal 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…
Scriptures to study
Luke 4:18
Prov 11:17
Mark 11:25
Eph. 4:31-32
Rom. 12:19-21
Eph 4:26-27
Heb 5:44-45
Col 3:12-13
Luke 17:4
1 John 2:12
Just a side note:
For those of you that have very deep wounds from past offenses and violations against you that have caused deep emotional wounds- please seek counseling or help to overcome and get victory in this area.
Forgiveness is for you!
Strategy 10 ‘Your Relationships’
There are a number of human hearts that have been disparaged and broken by fellow believers, by people who are supposed to be fighting with us, or the lifelong friend that we have shared our most intimate details with. When it happens in our most vital relationships is almost always code for enemy activity. He knows his odds of success jump markedly whenever he can cause heart-wrenching division between us, isolate one or two of us, separate us into warring or stonewalled camps.
We cannot leave these kinds of openings for the enemy to infiltrate.
One of our most important strategies- a call for our most fervent praying- must be to stand against all forms of disharmony in our relationships and battle for oneness among ourselves and all of God’s people. Together we are a mighty force and Satan knows it.
He hates when we are unified as a couple, a family, a local church, as well as the global church. He hates when we are all praying for one another’s needs, potential, mission, and unity.
This frustrates the enemy’s plan to no end! Is this mysterious gelling of people from various backgrounds, experiences, personality types, races, and traditions-the kinds of differences that should keep us from being able to get along, much less work together for the kingdom purposes or to care how one another is growing in faith and perseverance.
The bible calls it ‘dividing wall’ or in NLT ‘wall of hostility’.
Ephesians 2:14, NLT: “For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.”
If we are not praying for unity-seriously, specifically, strategically- we’re leaving our hopes for togetherness to patterns of emotion, misunderstanding, and imposed pressure from outside sources and circumstances.
Prayer greases the friction between us. Prayer helps us stay focused on bigger things, eternal things. In prayer we experience the kind of hard-fought peace that unites us into an army of soldiers for Christ.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace with God, No more fear of condemnation.
So whatever lack of peace you or I may feel with God, it is always coming from a source that is NOT God because He has already blown down every door that keeps us from experiencing total peace with Him.
Our peace with God infuses us with the peace of God.
The peace of God helps us navigate the will of God. This is why Satan is always trying to separate friends and churches.
Friends who forgive, sisters in Christ whose relationship is an inspiration, husbands and wives who clearly love each other with a passionate sense of loyalty and unity, churches and denominations that are known for celebrating their commonalities more than arguing about their differences- those are the kind of people who best entice others out of their loneliness, pain, and despair to seek their own peace with God.
We shouldn’t be surprised when he causes division and disharmony throughout the body of Christ. He will do it in your own personal relationships as well.
Start identifying the most common tools of division and disunity the enemy employs to your key relationships.
James 3:14-16 NIV 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
Jealousy- never wanting to take a backseat to someone else’s success or growth pattern.
Bitterness- irritations that have simmered inside you long enough until they’ve turned into intolerable dislikes
Self-ambition- the desire to dominate or come out looking better than someone else
Arrogance- thinking you’re the most right on differences of opinion
These are just a few areas to evaluate yourself with.
Our job is to keep the truth where we can’t help but see it and to pray that we can identify the enemy’s activity both in ourselves and in others. Then we can craft a prayer strategy with peace in mind, leading to peace of mind for ourselves and the ones we love.
Helpful scripture;
Col 3:15
Romans 14:19
Eph 4:14
1 John 3:18
Romans 14:13
Gal 5:26
Heb 10:24-25
Ps. 133:1-3
Phil. 2:2-4
1 Cor. 12:25