Presence of Prayer

‘Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.’ 

Luke 18:1 NIV

The presence of prayer - 

I had a discussion the other day

A dear friend was talking about his relationship;

He was noting how important communication was and how he and his girlfriend talk openly about everything - even difficult conversations. He noted how they made an agreement to be completely honest with one another - even if it might be hurtful at first glance.

Scripture notes that, ‘wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.’ Proverbs 27:6

It is all about relationship - 

Direct communication can be difficult 

Yet, those challenging discussion are eased when you are able to focus on trusting the intention of the one you are in relationship with.

Prayer is that simple

The presence of prayer is vital

It is vital in maintaining an open, honest and meaningful relationship with the LORD

And when you have a relationship like that, you will be surprised what you can endure - and what you can accomplish together.

‘Men ought always to pray and not to faint.’

Luke 18:1 KJB

someone's someone

Good Morning Friends

I pray and trust that all is going well with you

I will be attending church – online – in a couple of hours

Then I will be spending the day with my guys

But I wanted to share this post this morning – one of my longer posts

I guess I am feeling really reflective after my evening last night,

When I encountered someone – an individual – in the parking lot

 

She was wrapped up in a blanket sitting with cart and a few of her belongings

She had no sign  and she was not begging –

She was just trying to stay warm ... and safe

 

We live in a fallen world –

As a result we will experience trouble – everyone, in one way or another

It may not be to same extent but all will experience challenges

Yet, we can take heart that ‘Jesus has overcome the world’ [John 16:33]

He works with us through situations and circumstances;

He brings beauty from our ashes so we can share beauty with others

He does not comfort us to make us comfortable; 

          He comforts us to make us comforters

He has established us as His Ambassadors of Hope in the earth

But we still must accept the job and commit to doing it faithfully

I drove past initially –

I had gone to the store and was on the way home to make dinner

I made it all the way to the rotary drive outside of my neighborhood

But, something kept pressing upon my heart – someone’s someone was on my heart

                                                 

So I turned around and drove all the way back to the shopping center

I went into a department store and purchased a few items;

Then I stopped at a restaurant and picked up a meal and bottled water

I honked my horn and spoke to her from my car

My heart was moved because I remembered that first night of homelessness

                With my sons and our dog back in 2011

I had always thought it would have been easier to handle if it was just me;

                I so wished my children did not have to be exposed to that

However, in hindsight, there was strength and safety in numbers

 

Initially, this woman did not want to accept what I offered

She was very much afraid – I could see it in her eyes

So, I explained that I had seen her when I was at the pharmacy earlier;

And that I had come back and just stopped at the store and restaurant

Then I got out of my vehicle and handed her the package

She was so very thankful … for the kindness

I spoke a blessing over her and we parted ways

 

Now, I normally do not speak of it when I give anything to anyone

This has also been a slightly different ‘love month’ for us than usual – thus far

But I think it is so important to talk about some of these things

It is so important to think about each someone we are blessed to encounter

They are everywhere and all around us

And they are someone’s someone –

Someone’s daughter, son, mom, dad, brother, sister, neighbor, friend

Most importantly, they are God’s someone

 

I wish that I were in a position to do more

But I will not let that stop me from doing what I can

And I pray you will not be stopped in doing anything you are able to do

Whatever situation God allows you to face – pray for His wisdom

It is not an all or nothing situation

We do not have to change the entire world –

We need only do what we can to bless the people He allows to enter our world

 

The message never changes –

‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind … 'Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22-37, 39

Love God, Love People

There are people that God desires to reach and He is counting on us

We are actually more important than any of us will ever realize

He is not looking for perfection – just partnership and participation

We can make  difference in someone’s life today ... 

          Let's make a difference in someone’s life today

Have a Blessed Day!

how far it goes

The weekend is here – and I have only two significant items on the agenda:

1. Watching the Superbowl with my guys tomorrow!
2. A milestone birthday celebration for my eldest son!

So I will be getting ready to run some errands to make sure I have all I need

But, I wanted to share this quick post first ...the term 'quick’ being entirely subjective 

 You never actually know ... how far my post will go 

Yesterday I shared a post about a gentleman I met at the store on Thursday

And even as I wrote, I honestly thought, I’ll probably never see him again’

Virginia Beach is a fairly large city – 

It is in the top 50 largest of all cities in the United States – for size & population

Well, yesterday afternoon I went to drop my youngest son off at work

And as I got ready to leave, who do you think was entering as I was exiting?

My new friend … and his trusty side-kick, of course!

To say I was surprised would be quite the understatement

Now, I don’t know how he felt following our impromptu meeting on Thursday

But I do know that he shared how isolated he had been feeling,

And he shared his reservations of having to interact with people

Yet, here he was venturing out, again, not twenty-four hours after our encounter

 

So, why am I sharing this and what does it have to do with our love journey?

You never know the impact you can have in the life another – just by being kind

I cannot say that our interaction on Thursday had any impact on his journey Friday

But I also cannot say definitely that it did not have some impact – even if it was minuscule

The point is you never know

That kindness you display to another person – you never know how far it will go

 

Today I am praying

That the LORD will make us all sensitive to the opportunities all around us

That He would open our eyes to see the needs of others

That we would slow down enough to make time for someone else

That we would submit to His will and partner with Him – in touching lives

That we would consent to be a ‘pebble’ ...

          If it would help in sending ripples of His love throughout the earth

May the LORD bless you and keep you today

Have a Wonderful Day & Weekend!

the hurting ...

It is Friday –

And just like that we are almost through the first week of February

I woke up this morning before my alarm went off

And one of the first thoughts was of the gentleman I met yesterday

I met him while I was shopping at Lowe’s – a local home improvement store

Now – it might not seem like it here, but I am very much an introvert

There are people who have never met a stranger – – I am not one of those people 

For me, it is highly unusual to just stop and talk to someone

However, if there is one thing that will stop me in my tracks – it is a precious doggo

I commented on how sweet she was and – there began a conversation

 

She was an emotional support/service dog –

And she was every bit adorable and focused at the same time

Her companion/owner suffers from IED [Intermittent Explosive Disorder]

And he started explaining to me all the challenges he has faced as a result of his illness

He explained the difficulty of wanting to interact with people but being fearful – not knowing what will trigger his disorder or when. He described the medications – which he advised 'helps some' – but makes him feel not like himself and unintelligent

My heart was breaking for him as he talked – and I listened

He talked about the challenges at work – not only as a result of the illness, but of the meanness of people. You see not all bullies mature and change – sometimes they just grow up to be bigger bullies; workplace terrorists. The challenges ultimately resulted in him being placed on permanent disability.

I understood fully as he talked about the extreme workplace harassment

I empathized – and I listened

He talked about the lack of friends and relationships and the extreme isolation it causes;

He explained the profound loneliness which has only been compounded by the pandemic

And I listened

He got his adorable side-kick at the beginning of the pandemic – last year

But you would think they had been together for five years seeing them together

He talked about a fitness tool he was building – and his faith in the LORD

He did most of the talking – and I listened

We talked for about twenty minutes

And when we got ready to part ways, I told him how nice it was to talk to him

He responded, ‘I’ll see you around … I hope I will’

 

Now –

It might not seem like it, but this topic has every bit to do with our focus on love

There are hurting people – all around us, every day

Some are just looking for someone to talk to

They are desiring fellowship and hoping that someone will take a chance on them

Know today – there is a God who loves

He loves you and He loves all of them – whoever the ‘them’ may be in your life

 

Today – I am praying

I am praying for all of the lonely and the hurting

I am crying out to the LORD to help this world of ours

I am believing and trusting that I will see His goodness – evident in every sector of society

I am praying that His power, presence and healing will be in the life of my new friend,

In a powerful and tangible way

I am praying for all of you as well – that the LORD’s hand will rest upon you;

That He will cause blessings and favor to abound in your life

May He bless you and keep you …

Have a Blessed Day!

A SURE RESPONSE

 

Good Morning & Happy Saturday – it is the weekend!

I started off my weekend with a nice ‘sleep in’

Normally up at 5:30 AM – weekday or weekend – I actually slept until almost 7 AM

I know it doesn’t sound like a major feat,

But any day I am waking up and daylight is just breaking,

it is a small sort of accomplishment for me

Yesterday, I wrote about the simplest of prayers

Today, I would like to focus on a sure response

 

It is one level of faith to reach out to the LORD in prayer –

It is another level of faith to have a confident expectation that He will respond

Yet, this is the exact degree of confidence to which we can cling

Isaiah 65:24 notes a declaration and promise from the LORD,

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” Is. 65:24 NIV

That has always been one of my favorite verses

The Good News Translation reads,

“Even before they are finished praying to Me, I will answer their prayers.”

That certainly is good news!

I love it because it shows the pro-active nature of God

It demonstrates His attentiveness to things that concern me –

            in many instances before I have even stopped to petition Him.

To have someone who know what you are going to ask before you ask;

To have someone who makes provision for what you need before you are needy;

How incredible is that?

 

HE IS AN AMAZING GOD!

 

Today –

If you have an issue which you need to bring before the LORD,

              take courage!

He knows what we need before we do and He knows what is best

Yet, He takes it a step further in that He not only identifies the need –

            He has taken steps to address it and provided what is needed

Rest in His promise today – He is on the throne and in control

He has heard your unspoken prayers and has already prepared a means of deliverance.

What a mighty God we serve!

 

Have a Blessed Day!

prayer still works ...

Good Morning Friends

I pray you all are staying safe amidst all of these challenges with COVID-19

This will have to be a quick post as I am on my way to work

I have been up for a couple of hours at this point

And, in getting ready for work, I heard one of the saddest incidents;

A family in NJ severely impacted by this virus –

                They have lost four family members with another three hospitalized

This virus and the effects are real

The recommendations for social distancing and ‘sheltering in place’ are wise

I am going to work because I HAVE TO … while awaiting the opportunity to work from home

Let us all use wisdom in these trying times

Devastating outcomes can occur from seemingly harmless activities

Therefore, let us walk in faith, live with hope, exercise wisdom and – pray without ceasing

I am praying for that family in New Jersey –

Praying that the LORD would help them with the pain;

Pain they have already experienced from losing so many loved ones;

Pain from worry over all the family members which remain in harm’s way

I am praying for my family –

Praying that the LORD would bless and protect them

I keep my sons and my love covered in prayer daily

Praying that He would watch over my Mom, my Dad and Step-Mom,

Praying that He would protect my three siblings, my step-sister and all their children

                That the great-grandchildren would be shielded

Praying for my ex-husband, his beautiful wife and their son;

Praying for all my extended family and their loved ones

I am praying for my spiritual family –

Praying that they would all be kept safe from harm

Thanking the LORD for my pastors who continue to lead in exemplary fashion

Praying that we would remember that we are the ‘light of the world’, ‘the salt of the earth’

Praying that we would all storm heaven’s gates –

for our president, for our leaders, for our neighbors, for the nation, for the world

I am praying for my co-workers and neighbors –

Praying that all – wherever they are working, whatever they are doing – would be kept safe

Praying for provision for those who have lost finances and security

Praying that every need is supplied

May the LORD God Almighty protect and keep us all …

“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” II Chronicles 7:14

‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”’

Psalm 91:1-2 

Have a Blessed Day & Stay Safe

DON'T BE YOURSELF ...

Happy Friday!

I pray your week went well and that you are settling into your weekend

Me? I am sick, sick, sick! I feel absolutely miserable. I have the flu!

However, I find myself thinking about all the hurting people in the world

At the top of this year, I wrote a post simply titled 'You're Not Yourself ...'

In that post – among other things – I talked about some of the unusual behavior you might encounter when dealing with broken people:

YOU ARE NOT YOURSELF … WHEN YOU ARE BROKEN … OR HURTING

But what do you do when those you must stay in the flames for are the same who pushed you in [or stoked the fire while you were going through]?

FIRST –You take a moment to remind yourself that people are not themselves when they are broken or hurting. Remind yourself that pain can make people act in ways that might be completely contrary to your preference and completely contrary to their nature in normal circumstances. Take time to remember times when you have been hurt or broken; times when you have uttered a harsh or impatient word or acted in a manner outside your normal character.
 THEN –You stick with the task at hand, follow the lead of the faithful individuals that walked before us and continue your trek through the flames until someone [or multiple some ones] are able to see Jesus for themselves, are able to receive salvation for themselves, are able to receive comfort for themselves, are able to walk in newness of life for themselves.
 LASTLY –Remember – it is never solely about you.

This does not mean that you become a doormat for people – or that you subject yourself to repeated abusive treatment. You can continue to walk through the fire, forgive people and love them from a distance [if needed].

WELL, OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS – this subject has become especially real as I have had individuals contacting me on social media under assumed names.

My heart breaks for these people who seemingly have nothing better to do with their lives

My heart breaks because I know that the LORD created them with purpose;

He designed them to be so much more than they have become

NOW – I will not lie and say I did not have some choice words

BUT THEN – I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit

It is not in our nature to be selfless and caring – that is a result of the fall

To overcome this flaw of humanity – it requires the work of His Holy Spirit living in us

UNDERSTAND – It is not within our capacity or responsibility to FIX BROKEN PEOPLE

HOWEVER – We are called to love them and to pray for them

YOU SEE – WE CANNOT BE OURSELVES WHEN ENCOUNTERING BROKEN PEOPLE

DON’T BE YOURSELF – YOUR NATURAL SELF.

RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE:

As I stated earlier, I currently have the flu – My body is aching, head is hurting [I have an excruciating headache!], throat is sore, nose is stuffy and running at the same time [for the life of me, I will never figure that one out or understand how it is possible]. My ears are clogged – they ache! And, my temperature is all over the place as my body attempts to fight off whatever has jumped on it. I have spent most of the evening shivering under multiple blankets, heat blaring, wearing a sweatshirt with a scarf around my head.

HOWEVER – as miserable as I feel physically, all I can keep thinking about are all those people who are feeling equally miserable – only spiritually and emotionally.

SO HERE IS MY PRAYER – IN PART:

·         I pray that you would place your trust in Him –

·         And that your faith would not waiver

·         May His Blessing Abound … Exceedingly & Abundantly!

·         May His goodness and mercy follow you always

·         May He go before you and make your way smooth

·         May He heal every hurting place in your heart and mind

·         May He bless you with wisdom, favor, joy and peace at all times

Praying You Have a Blessed Evening

Y’all Pray for me too …

‘If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same … But love your enemies, and do good … expecting nothing in return…’

Luke 6:32-33, 35

pray

pray …

 

Pray ... even when you cannot find the words to say

In my post 'He speaks 'cry'...'  I wrote:

Indeed, He knows the meaning of every tear, every sob and every sigh. And when I weep, shedding more tears [than] can be counted (by me), crying what becomes a flowing stream or river, He sees each individual tear and can tell what each one represents. Then He responds.

 

The LORD hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. Psalm 34:17

 

Pray without ceasing …

I Thessalonians 5:17

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5

 

And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. I John 5:14

 

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

 

Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3

 

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13

Sanctus Real - Pray

praying ...

Tonight … I am just praying
 
With so many hurting in Oklahoma, I am praying for those who have been impacted by severe tornadoes, who have lost everything material. I am praying for those who have lost loved ones and especially the parents of the children who have been lost.
 
A couple of years ago, I published a post  'if nothing changes' which included these words:
How is it reasoned when the healing does not manifest? When the marriage fails? When the job ends? When the aloneness persists? When the ministry does not increase? When the child ends up on drugs? When the child dies? When the weeping endures longer than a night? And, although the joy comes in the morning, it is within the context of the present reality and in light of the fact that the prayer was not answered exactly the way it was hoped or desired. Where is the comfort?

…

I heard someone say … ‘When someone loses a husband, you call her a widow; when someone loses a parent, you call them an orphan; when someone loses a child, you don’t call them anything – because it is so unimaginable, so painful and so grievous that there is not a word to describe it.’

We grieve with those who grieve.

Yet, even as I pray for the people of Oklahoma, I cannot help but to continue thinking of and praying for people everywhere who have lost loved ones this year

Long after these stories have faded in focus from the front pages of newspapers and magazines, after they have been replaced with another ‘lead story’ on the evening news … there are people who remain … still grieving, still hurting, still trying to pick up the pieces of their lives and find some degree of normalcy again.

Please join me in praying for all of those who are hurting … all over the globe.

A Mother's Love ...

'A mother is only as happy as her saddest child'

This is quote from an unknown author that I heard several years ago. I don't know why it is on my heart this morning. Perhaps, as I thought about my own children and the peace I have at 4AM and how very thankful I am - I could not help but to think about others. So I speak this word of blessing to every Mom who is up praying for their child this morning, to every Mom whose heart is aching and breaking because of a pain that their child might be experiencing:

Praise the LORD!



How joyful are those who fear the LORD
and delight in obeying his commands.
 Their children will be successful everywhere;
an entire generation of godly people will be blessed
Psalm 112:1-2 

Keep praying and trusting ... placing your children wholly in the hands of the LORD. May the LORD Bless and Keep You!

Jesus is praying ....

'But I have pleaded in prayer for you ... that your faith should not fail.' Luke 22:32 NLT

What a comfort to know that Jesus pleads in prayer on our behalf. He has prayed that our faith would not fail and we know that the words of the LORD are effective, for He Himself has said:
'For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
     So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.' Isaiah 55:10-11

Even if we feel like our prayers may not be as effective as we might hope, we have a blessed confidence that His prayers are perfect. There is no enemy that we need have fear of:
'Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?' Romans 8:34

What a tremendous blessing!

Have a great day, knowing that Jesus is praying for you ... and so am I.

His Will ...

‘Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.’ I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice – recall the wondrous things which God has done in and through your life and experience being ‘re-joyed’ all over again as you give Him praises.

Pray without ceasing – the call is for continual prayer to God. Yet, too often we can become preoccupied with praying for ourselves instead of praying for others. But the Word of God give us these confidences:

• The LORD Jesus Christ intercedes for us (Lk. 22:32)
• The Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Rm. 8:26)
• The Father hears (I Jn. 5:14)

Therefore we can focus less on ourselves in prayer and more on the needs of others. So often we have no idea what is going on with neighbors, with brothers and sisters in the LORD, with natural family. So many are facing situations and circumstances which have them bound, imprisoned by tears and fears. Yet, there is something we can do and that we are called to do: ‘Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.’ Hebrews 13:3 NLT

In everything give thanks – give thanks in everything. There is a reason for thankfulness in every situation, in every season. Thankfulness does not say that everything is good – rather it searches out the good in everything and honors the Giver of ‘every good and perfect gift’. It understands and acknowledges that ‘Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.’ James 1:17

I cannot tell you how many people I have talked to who have wondered what the will of God is for their life. Yet our lead verse tells what the will of God is:

• Rejoice always
• Pray without ceasing
• Give Thanks in everything

May God bless you richly today and always and may you make the time to bless someone else, in word or deed or prayer!

Get up, God!

Just wondering if there is anyone out there today who can identify with the psalmist ...

Psalm 44 MSG

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah

1 -3 We've been hearing about this, God, all our lives.

Our fathers told us the stories

their fathers told them,

How single-handedly You weeded out the godless

from the fields and planted us,

How You sent those people packing

but gave us a fresh start.

We didn't fight for this land;

we didn't work for it—it was a gift!

You gave it, smiling as You gave it,

delighting as You gave it.

4 -8 You're my King, O God—

command victories for Jacob!

With Your help we'll wipe out our enemies,

in Your name we'll stomp them to dust.

I don't trust in weapons;

my sword won't save me—

But it's You, You who saved us from the enemy;

You made those who hate us lose face.

All day we parade God's praise—

we thank You by name over and over.

9 -12 But now You've walked off and left us,

You've disgraced us and won't fight for us.

You made us turn tail and run;

those who hate us have cleaned us out.

You delivered us as sheep to the butcher,

You scattered us to the four winds.

You sold Your people at a discount—

You made nothing on the sale.  

13 -16 You made people on the street,

urchins, poke fun and call us names.

You made us a joke among the godless,

a cheap joke among the rabble.

Every day I'm up against it,

my nose rubbed in my shame—

Gossip and ridicule fill the air,

people out to get me crowd the street.

17 -19 All this came down on us,

and we've done nothing to deserve it.

We never betrayed Your Covenant: our hearts

were never false, our feet never left Your path.

Do we deserve torture in a den of jackals?

or lockup in a black hole?  

 20 -22 If we had forgotten to pray to our God

or made fools of ourselves with store-bought gods,

Wouldn't God have figured this out?

We can't hide things from him.

No, you decided to make us martyrs,

lambs assigned for sacrifice each day.

 23 -26 Get up, God! Are You going to sleep all day?

Wake up! Don't you care what happens to us?

Why do You bury Your face in the pillow?

Why pretend things are just fine with us?

And here we are—flat on our faces in the dirt,

held down with a boot on our necks.

Get up and come to our rescue.

If You love us so much, Help us!

 '... nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will. ' 

Mt. 26:39