The deep desire of my heart is to show people the love of Christ! His love is not religion...it is about a deep relationship that provides grace, mercy and hope for life. My prayer is that this world would be changed by His love...one person at a time! Oh how He loves you and me!!!
" If you judge people you have not time to love them." -Mother Teresa
So I haven't blogged in a long time...but I had some thoughts tonight that the Lord spoke to me through a sermon I listened to online tonight and thought a song that I love. I wasn't going to blog...but the Lord told me to share in the hopes that if someone else is struggling with releasing control to the Lord in any area... that His Spirit would speak to you through what He shared with me tonight.
Surrender. To relinquish possession or control of to another; to give over or yield.
I don't know about you....but surrendering complete control is not an easy thing to do. Surrendering even partial control can be painful in and of itself!
However, something the Lord boldly yet gently reminded me tonight is that there is more pain in not trusting Him with complete control of my life.
Fear, anxiety, worry and not trusting the Lord all come down to one issue...control!
When we don't feel that we have control over a situation...we worry.
When we don't trust what the Lord has for us in life, in this moment, it is because we want to control the outcome with what we think we know is best.
God revealed to me(actually He has to keep reminding me) that He is God. I am not....
He reminded me that if He is in control then I should have nothing to fear.
He affirmed to me through the words of a song that if I surrender everything I don't have to worry how my life will turn out...because He has my best interest at heart.
AND.....HE LOVINGLY displayed His mercy for me by dying on a cross so many years ago so that I would no have to live my life in constant fear, worry and anxiety.
He wants us to surrender our control to Him, not so He can control us....but so that He can free us from the bondage that would destroy us.
He surrendered His life as a sacrifice...He gave up complete control for us to bring about our perfect joy and peace in this life.
Is there an area of your life that you struggle with surrendering to the Lord?
Maybe you are struggling with surrendering to Him as a new believer???
Whatever you are facing today I pray that the Holy Spirit would rush over you!
There is freedom in surrender....
I am sure that he/she would have dark, curly hair.
His face might have tiny little features...
Her eyes might be as green as a spring field....
In the book of James he tells us to count it all joy when we experience trials....
So how do I count it all joy when someone tells me I might not ever be able to have children?......?.....
This is my delima I present before the Lord.
Maybe your situation is different...but can you relate????
I ask Him...."Lord, I trust you....BUT how do I trust that what I have always desired could be taken from me???"
He says, "Trust me anyways"
I ask Him...."Lord, all I have ever wanted is to have a baby to take care of....how do I count it all joy that you might take that from me????"
He says, "Trust me anyways"
I ask Him..."Lord, how do I ease the ache and heartache of this situation? How do I trust that your ways are higher than the pain that I feel in my heart?"
He says, "TRUST ME ANYWAYS"
I ask Him..."Lord, how do I remain strong and faithful....when I don't feel strong and faithful?"
He says, " TRUST in Me"
My friends, I haven't blogged in a while...but I wanted to share a truth with you that the Lord is teaching me through a deep season of heartache....
No matter what you are facing in your life right now the only thing that is constant and true is the Lord!
We have desires for our lives...
We have big hopes for our futures...
and there is nothing wrong with that...but I have learned that nothing is promised besides the love of the Lord.
He wants us to remain hopeful...
He wants us to dream big and ask Him for the desires of our hearts...
But my friends if those desires are not fulfilled it doesn't mean that He doesn't love you.
It doesn't mean that He has forgotten you.
When things in life seem to be so crazy and unsure...the only rest we can find is trusting that the Lord has things in control.
This is something in my life that I can't change...
So the only thing I can do is change my response to the change.
Friends, is there something in your life that is looming over you like a dark cloud?
Do you feel anxious about the future?
Does your heart ache at the loss of something or someone dear to you?
Do you wonder how you are going to make it in this life?
I want to encourage you today that there is Someone who can help you get through this season.
No matter what you are facing...no matter how high the hill is that you have to climb....
you can trust in the Lord to get you through!
"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"-John 14:27
Today....I was overwhelmed with so many things in life.
Have you ever had those days?
Maybe you have had one of those weeks, months or even years....
I was in a place where I was just so overwhelmed with so many different things that I started to get really emotional (imagine that right..ha)
Anyways, on my lunch break I went outside and got in my car, rolled down the windows, closed my eyes and just let the fresh breeze blow across my face. I took several deep breaths in....and then out.
As I calmed down I began to simply talk to God.
I talk to Him like He is my BFF and I imagine that we are sitting on a grassy spot overlooking the red sea. (I am not sure there is really a grassy spot overlooking the red sea...but its my imagination.!)
I used to think that prayer had to be so strict and careful. I used to think there were rules attached to speaking to Him.
I still believe that we honor and respect Him during the times that we talk to Him, but I truly believe now that He just wants us to come to Him.
Come to Him in laughter...
Come to Him in tears...
Come to Him when you are hurting, broken, and angry.
Share with Him your heart!
My heart is so full right now for the brokenness I see all around me.
I help patients on a daily basis who look to me for financial help with their dental needs.
How do you look in the eyes of a person who needs dental care, but they are unable to come up with any sort of payment?
How do you offer encouragement to someone who is crying because they are aching in pain from an infection that has set in due to a rotten tooth that they didn't have the money to get taken care of sooner?
Is there any way possible to hug someone strong enough to allow them to feel the depth of your compassion for their hurt?
Can you even begin to convey your understanding of their pain?
I sometimes wonder why God gave me such a sensitive heart. I mean seriously!!!!! I can get teary-eyed at the drop of hat!
At times I think it is a curse...but then again I am able to connect with people in moments of complete vulnerability and share with them the one thing that this world cannot offer.
I am able in those moments to offer hope!
This world has nothing that we can hold on to!
Nothing we work for...
No relationship we can attain...
No amount of money we can make...
No great job that will last forever...
The only thing we can hold on to in the midst of all of our discouragement is HOPE!
Dear and beloved friends...whatever you are facing...whatever circumstance is looming before you...He is going to carry you through!
That is what the Lord revealed to me as I sat quietly in my car today.
There is nothing that I can do in my own power to help the people that I meet, or even the people that I love who are hurting. BUT....I can offer HOPE in the Lord's faithfulness to see them through!
Are there things in your life right now that seem overwhelmingly out of your control?
Are you fearful of a certain situation that is standing like a giant before you????
Are you weary of walking or at times feel like you are crawling towards the finish line of life???
Enter your circumstance here ______________________________________________________
My friends this life might shake you...but we stand on a firm foundation of faith that no matter how shaky things get...He is holding our world in His hands!
Like always I am crying in joy as I write this blog and praying that someones heart might be encouraged!
I pray that when you read this your heart will long to go to Him in quietness of spirit and simply talk to Him.
I know in this you will find HOPE!
Do you think of giving up on something in your life that you have been fighting for?
When you hear it does it make you think positively or negatively?
In battle, when someone surrenders it is a sign of defeat.
When you are playing a game and you surrender it also shows that you have given up and lost.
So if surrendering makes us think of defeat why does the Lord ask us to surrender our will to Him?
Shouldn't something the Lord is calling us to do inspire us to have a positive outlook????
I know that when God called me to surrender my life to Him it was the most amazing thing I could have ever done...but it isn't always easy to completely surrender myself to all that He asks of me.
I wish I could say that I am a super Christian that finds it easy to do all that He requires of me...but the truth is that surrendering to Him at times can be a true test of my faith.
Someone once told me that the reason we fear or have anxiety in our lives is because we don't have control of whatever we are fearing.
We fear our future because we don't have control of the outcome...
We are nervous about our current circumstances because we can't control the details....
We are anxious about our finances because we can't control the economy...
We worry about our children because we can't control the decisions they make...
It is our nature to want to control the things around us. There is nothing wrong with that...except for the fact that we can't control life. We can make plans...but there is no way to control everything we face in life.
So that is why surrendering our life to Him is so important.
I am not saying that it is easy(trust me...it is still a process for me) but it is the only HOPE that we have to get through this life.
We have a Father in heaven who is asking us to simply surrender our control to Him so that He can set us free from the burden of trying to fix things in our own strength.
He is God after all right?????
Wouldn't it make sense to let God have control instead of you(a human being) trying to control and fix things.
It is hard to wrap our minds around that in the midst of extremely difficult situations, but in order to find freedom from your worries and fears...you are going to have to daily and maybe even hourly surrender your will to Him.
Surrendering to God is not a form of defeat my dear friends! Surrendering in this case is the most amazing thing you can ever do for yourself.
You are choosing to place your faith in the loving hands of a Father who will not let you down!
You are surrendering your dreams, plans and ideas for His!
So many times in my own life I have fought God on surrendering certain things that I did not want to allow Him to have control of.
I would fight with Him and convince myself that He couldn't possibly be asking me to surrender something that "I" knew was what was best. (can you believe we try to convince God we know better than Him...ha)
The Lord wants us to surrender to Him not so that He can control us....He does it so that we can find peace and freedom in knowing that we don't have to worry because He is going to take care of everything!
When we release control to Him we are freed up to focus on other things in life and not be bogged down with all of the unneeded stresses.
My sweet brothers and sisters God wants you to trust Him! He longs for you to take a leap of faith and surrender your control to Him so that He can show you His faithfulness!
What are facing today that you need to release control over to Him for?
Is there an area of your life that you are facing extreme fear in because you can't control the outcome?
I want to encourage you today with every ounce of passion that I have to begin to start allowing God to have some control over the things in your life.
Take baby steps at first if you have to...
I promise that once you finally reach the point of full our surrender to the Lord in the areas you fear the most you will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams!
Jesus longs to help you, heal you, and rescue you...
Won't you let Him????
Her eyes are blood shot and full of tears.
Her small hand are covered in blisters and torn across her knuckles from digging in the dry earth to plant crops.
Her feet are worn and calloused from walking miles with no shoes.
The veins in her arms stick out because of the lack of nutrition she gets.
She works her land as the man she cares for lays dying in their home from disease. With no medicine to ease his pain, he lays there day in and day out...waiting on a miracle.
Can you see them?
His body is frail from weeks of laying broken in bed. Injury and surgery have left him to flat on his back in pain for weeks. His eyes are full of hope in the Lord, even though his tears try to escape. His arms are strong as he clasps his hands in prayer in the midst of a dark season of confusion.
He has not been able to stand, walk, run, drive a car of go anywhere besides the hospital for 5 weeks and yet he smiles.
He has missed work and is not sure when he will be able to return...and yet he praises the Lord...
He lays in bed for hours on end with medicine that does not ease his pain...and yet he manages to thank God...
He lays there waiting for a miracle.
Can you see him?
The bitter cold blows against her tiny, wrinkled face as she walks as fast as she can to the door of my office. Her eyes are as blue as a summer sky and you can see deep love and yet deep sadness in them. Her body is bent over from age and she walks with a slight limp. Her voice cracks as she tells me of the death of her dear brother...and her beautiful hand comes up to meet her eyes and gently she wipes away tears. Her head hangs down as she shares of her loss. Moments later she lifts her head and with tears still spilling from her eyes, she manages the sweetest smile. Soft words escape her lips and she says, " life is hard".
Can you see her?
Oh how my heart aches for people all over this world!!
One of my favorite things to do is listen to people and their stories. I love to know where someone has come from, where they are at, and how they are managing to make it through this life.
I have found two common denominators in every person's story no matter their race or religion.
One... We all have pain!!! Some of us have more pain than others...but we all have wounds and hurts and grief!
Two...We all want hope!!! For some people who have been hurting for so long, hope is something to cling to even though at times it seems that hope is lost. Some people ache to have something to hope for...
Some people are losing hope...but deep down inside want to have a reason to hope again!
I am honored to be a part of so many people's lives who are willing to share with me some of their deep hurts, concerns and hopes for their future's. I pray deep down inside that each time someone shares with me their story that the Lord would give me a good word of hope that would propel that person's faith and give them a tiny piece of hope in the Lord to keep going. I know it is not me...it is all the Lord!
So many people in this world need encouragement....and more than that, they need hope!
They need hope to know that even though things seem hopeless....the Lord has NOT forgotten them!
They need hope to keep breathing in and out just to make it another day.
They need hope for their future....
They need hope to believe that this world has more to offer than pain...
My dear friends...where do you find yourself in life now?
Are you in a season of hopelessness? Does your spirit feel crushed and weighed down by the things of this life?
Do you find yourself questioning life and what is going to happen to you?
Oh beloved friends I want to share with you the greatest hope that will not disappoint you!
(oh my eyes are flooded with tears...as I wish I could ease your pain)
The hope that will not disappoint is the HOPE that only the Lord can give you!
I do not know what you are walking through...
I can not feel the aches your body feels..
I don't understand what it is like to lose someone so close to you...
I can't begin to fathom what it must be like to watch someone you love pass away right before you eyes...
I know that it is not easy to walk through this life. Like my sweet friend from work said to me..."life is hard".
But no matter how hard this life is...not matter what you are walking through...no matter where you have been, if you don't have hope you will not be able to move forward!
I am not saying that hope will immediately take away the pain that you are feeling....but it will give you the strength to walk through the fire!
Jesus gave us the hope we need when He died the most excruciating death for us!
He experienced pain so severe in order that we might have the hope of knowing that we will have an eternity of peace!
Can you imagine an eternity of peace????
I know that sounds pretty nice sometimes!
I recently talked to a guy who was broken from the loss of family member, job, and fiance. He didn't think he had the strength to go on. He was broken every day and dreaded every day...but he kept going because of that deep seeded hope that things would get better...somehow!
Friends...I do not know where you are...but I know where hope will take you!
It is not easy to hope in the midst of a storm...but I promise that He will carry you through!
Don't lose heart...when you feel you have nothing left...remember that you have hope..and hope never fails!
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful!" - Hebrews 10:23
If any of you know me...you probably know my parents. If you don't know my parents...you should!!!!! I was deeply and richly blessed to have been given a set of parents whose love for me is passionate and full of mercy. I am humbled by the Lord that He would allow me to have such great people in my life. You see...as a young woman who is unmarried up to this point in my life, I have spent countless hours and time with children of all ages who were not blessed with any parents.
Last March I went to Africa to serve in an orphanage with so many precious little babies who have been orphaned because of many different reasons. My mind couldn't grasp how I was blessed with such love...and yet these tiny, beautiful creations were not given the same thing. I ached to stay with each of them and bestow the love on them that the Lord had blessed me with with in my parents. Again I felt so undeserving....but overwhelmingly thankful! The love I feel for my parents cannot be expressed by mere words....nothing could convey the depth of passion and joy I feel for them. Like I said earlier, if you don't know my parents...you should :) I joke about that....but in all seriousness they are two people whose lives have been a living testimony of faith, sacrifice and unceasing love! My mom knows no stranger! She is always in a good mood...always full of joy and is a faithful prayer warrior to sooooo many people! Her life has been a testimony of faith and trust in the Lord. She stands up for what she believes, she loves unconditionally, and she is always willing to take a phone call from someone who is aching...hurting or in distress. Her arms are always open...even to strangers. My momma led me to the Lord at 8 years old and I watched her as she went to the altar every Sunday to pray for my dad. I learned how to look at things positively from her...I learned how to always show love to someone and give my all regardless if someones gives their all back to me. My daddy(lump in my throat) is one of the funniest guys I know. He can talk to anyone and make them feel welcome and at home. His wisdom on life comes from a deep relationship with the Lord that he spends time sharing with others. In my entire life I have never heard him complain about going to work for his family(and he worked fun sunrise to sunset while I was growing up) He doesn't have a lazy bone in his body! In fact, growing up I would sometimes wish he would let us be lazy and lay around..nope :) I realize now it was good for me. My parents are the definition of love on earth! I want to give you a story of faithfulness to encourage anyone who is struggling with believing that the Lord is going to do a faithful work in your own life. When I was a little girl my daddy was not a believer. My mom prayed, fasted, prayed and lived a life that represented the true love of Jesus. It was hard to imagine that my dad would ever come to know the Lord....in fact I remember thinking, "THERE IS NO WAY!!!!" My friends, there is ALWAYS a way with God! Because of prayer and continued faithfulness my daddy became a believer! He is not only a believer now....he is the spiritual leader in our family, serves in ministry and devotes his time to seeking wisdom from the Lord. Many people look to him now for prayer and a good word from the Lord :) It was a "lost cause" in my human mind for so many years....but God proved Himself faithful!!!!
Is there something in your life that you are saying, "God, there is NO WAY!!!" ????? Is there a situation you are facing at work that you can't imagine you are going to get through? Have you lost everything and are wondering if God can hear you???? Do you have children who are causing your heart to break and you wonder how the Lord is going to reach them? Are you trying with all your heart to break strongholds or addictions in your life...but time after time you fail and you just want to give up? Maybe you have been praying for soooooo long and you are not seeing a change...so you are losing hope in the Lord. Maybe, you don't know the Lord...and you are wondering how a person like yourself could ever have a relationship with Jesus.
My friends, I want to remind you that even though a prayer has not been answered in the way or the timing that you want...does NOT mean that the Lord has forgotten you! Waiting on God is so hard....but precious friend..HE IS FAITHFUL!
It took YEARS for my daddy to come to know Jesus...but now he is teaching his entire family about the love of the Lord. I was even blessed to serve along side him on a mission trip this past summer! (oh Lord you are faithful) I know that if you are in a season of waiting...it is not easy! Sometimes you get tired of hearing how everyone else has been blessed with answered prayers when you are sitting at home struggling with believing. My friends, NEVER get tired of hearing of God's faithfulness! In fact, I encourage you to ask people of God's faithfulness and write in a journal all the ways that God has been faithful in your life. Sometimes our problems and circumstances can weigh us down so far that we lose sight of all that we are blessed with. What has God done in your life? Where has He been faithful???? A very wise man told me the other day that when we begin to feel discouraged by the enemy and we want to lose heart....hold your head up high and praise the Lord in the midst of that problem and Satan will flee! So many of you have emailed me, called me and spent time sharing with me all that you are struggling with and I am honored and humbled to the point of tears for your willingness to be so transparent with me. I am deep in love with each of you and passionately pray for each of your lives. I am also confident that whatever you are facing....GOD IS FAITHFUL!
If there is one thing that I am deeply passionate about it is encouraging people to see how valued and beautiful they are!!!!
At the risk of sounding strange (if you know me you know its just me) I think people are soooo beautiful!
Each person is distinctly different!!!!
As a woman, I have to admit that I struggle with what every woman struggles with...the need to feel beautiful!
We learn from a young age that its important to be beautiful and have beautiful things in order to gain the approval of people.
As a young child I really struggled with wanting to look like everyone else. I wanted to have blond hair...tiny facial features, be 5 inches taller and of course have all the nicest and newest clothes. It is so hard as a young girl to live in a society where our value is based on the way we look and not who we really are!
I tried for so long to "look the part", but I could never do enough to fill the void I felt deep inside of me.
I tried losing 5 pounds to fit into the newest and coolest jeans...but when I hit my goal weight I ended up not being satisfied and wanted to lose more!
I spent tons of money on getting my hair colored, and getting all the "name brand" makeup in order to feel pretty...but I ended up always wanting more and more because I never found true satisfaction!
I wore clothes that were inappropriate to gain the attention of my peers and to fit in with what the other girls were doing...but in the end I realized I was only disrespecting myself and lessening my true value.
I began to see that no matter what I did...nothing I could do was ever going to be enough.
Sadly, I struggled with this for many years! Those years were filled with tears and heartache because I wanted so badly to feel beautiful!
Several years ago the Lord led me to attend a Bible study about a woman named Esther.
If you don't know Esther...well let me just tell you...she was a beautiful woman!
But more than that,Esther was a woman who feared the Lord and wanted to be known for her quiet spirit and her love for the Lord over her physical beauty.
Esther won the approval of a king because he could see something different in her....
There were hundreds of beautiful women he could have chosen...but she was different!
She was humble and modest in heart and dress.
All of the women who were seeking the attention of the king were beautiful...so why did Esther grab his attention?
Sisters, Esther was chosen because the king saw a difference in her that so many of the other girls did not have!
She did not need to look like every other girl...because her value came not from what she wore...but from the value that she found in a relationship with Jesus!
My heart cries out to God for so many of the young girls that are facing the battle of thinking they need to find their value in the way they look!
It saddens me to see women lose sight of the importance of modesty. We think that somehow by showing our bodies we are impressing someone when we are in fact dishonoring them and disrespecting ourselves.
I ache to hear stories of precious little girls who are broken because a boy does not think they are beautiful!
I want to buy a pink cape that has the word "encourager" on it and fly around to each girl and woman who is broken and rescue them from their pain! ( I might just buy one..ha)
Thankfully, I know that the Lord is the only Hero we need!
My job is to spend time lifting girls up and reminding them that they are so much more than the way that they look!
I have been mentoring two young girls who are really fighting against wanting the approval of boys.
It saddens me because the television shows they watch and the images they see in magazines do not help them! They are bombarded with lies that only lead to heartache.
My prayer is that each girl would begin to know how beautiful they truly are and how much they are loved...just for who they are!
Do you know a young girl who is struggling with wanting to feel beautiful?
Is there some way you can reach out to her? We can relate right? So why not help future generations realize their value isn't in the way they look.
Maybe its not someone you know...maybe its you.
We all want to feel beautiful. Even I want to make sure I stay in shape and look good when I go out on dates. (who doesn't right)
But we have to realize that our beauty comes from the inside! When we really begin to love ourselves and see ourselves the way that God sees us, we begin to see our true value is not in the image that stares back at us in the mirror; however, it is in the beauty that God has placed inside of us!
When you find joy in who you are...your confidence and joy will be seen as a beautiful and unique quality that people will run to!
I pray that each of us would seek ways to remind the women(young and old) how truly beautiful they are!
Encouragement means to instill courage!
Today, how can you instill courage into the life of someone you know?
I wish I could reach out and hug each of you!
My prayer for you is that you would see how truly beautiful you are!
Jesus loves you just the way you are...there is so much peace in that!!!!
" And once more He bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him. Jesus stood up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go and from now on sin no more."
John 8:8-11
Friends, this story in the Bible is about the love, mercy and forgiveness that Jesus bestowed on a woman who was caught in the act of adultery.
In those days if a woman was caught in the act of adultery...she was brought out before the people and stoned to death.
For those of you who don't know...to be stoned means that you were struck with rocks, bricks or anything that the people could throw at you to in order to kill you. Can you imagine?
This woman was brought before Jesus in the midst of her sin and shame.Eminent death was a rocks throw away.
Laying on the ground in a broken state and in utter defeat, this woman must have felt like so many of us feel when we have fallen in to sin.
Have you been there????
Are you there now????
Do you feel so ashamed at where you are at, and fearful that although the Lord is right in front of you...He is too Holy to forgive the sins that you have committed????
Oh sweet friends I want to encourage you!
No matter where you have been or what you have done...He will not leave your side!
He did not leave this woman when she was being condemned by her peers....
He did not judge her or make her feel ashamed...
Instead, He stood before the crowd and became her mighty Defender!
He looked at her, with grace and mercy in His eyes and comforted her with a reminder that He did not condemn her!
My friends you might not be caught in adultery.
It might be a completely different sin or stronghold that is causing you to be ashamed of going to the Lord.
Maybe its pornagraphy...and you feel too ashamed to go to someone for help.
Maybe its an alchol problem that is really causing you to make poor decisions.
Maybe you are going too far physically in a relationship, but again you are too afraid of telling anyone.
Maybe its struggling with lustful thoughts and desires.
Maybe its anger and hatred in your heart towards people that you can't let go of.
Oh dear friends, I wish that I was sitting with you and could shed tears and hug you as I try to explain that the mercy Jesus extends to you is great!
Nothing you have done...can seperate you from Him! He longs for you to come to Him broken, ashamed, and in need of Him!
He wants to come to your aid and show you that His love and mercy are rich and never ending!
I cry as I write this because I have experienced His mercy in my life so many times. I am a broken sinner who was and always is in need of a Savior that washes me clean and new every day.
I do not deserve His mercy, but I am overwhelmingly thankful that He gave it to me!
I know that some of you might think that you are are too unworthy because of where you have been and what you have done...but NOTHING is greater than HIS LOVE!
Maybe you don't think you are strong enough to get our from under your sin.
My friends, the enemy that you are fighting against has been defeated!
He came and He died for your sins! He has ransomed us from all that we face and will face in the days to come!
Remember, when you call to Him and ask Him to help you, He assumes the responsibility to deliver you!
Today, I pray that you would remember no matter what you have done, He is standing before you, ready to forgive you and draw a line in the sand that will set you free!
" And He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to lose heart." Luke 18:1
When I was a little girl I was taught by my momma that it was important to pray to Jesus and ask Him for the things that I needed help with.
I remember thinking it was kinda strange just talking out loud to something or someone that I could not see..... I found it very confusing at times to pray for something in hopes that my requests would be made known to God...but then sometimes my prayers were not answered. At least not answered in the way I wanted them to be answered. :) I couldn't understand why I should spend so much time praying for God to do something, when in the end...it really wasn't based on my prayer, because ultimately whatever God wanted to happen was going to happen regardless of how hard I prayed. I think at some point many or even all of us wonder how well prayer really works.
Have you ever wondered that? Have you ever doubted or questioned if your prayers are being heard....or if its even worth it to spend time praying for certain results when its ultimately in God's hands? Do you find yourself praying for something and then as soon as you are finished go right back to thinking that nothing is going to change and you are still worried and anxious??? I mean if we truly believed in the power of prayer...wouldn't we all ache to do it more???? Wouldn't we long to make our requests known to God....
I am going to be very transparent and share with each of you that even as I grew up...prayer was always a struggle for me. I truly believed in the Lord, but even as I prayed to the Lord for things, people and circumstances in my life I always questioned if any of it really mattered. I would pray believing for things to change... I would pray that God would give me courage... I would pray for the salvation of loved ones.... I would pray for a man who would love me unconditionally and have the courage to stand by my side through thick and thin.... I would pray for someone to be healed from an incurable disease.... BUT...because those things didn't happen...I would lose heart.
I wondered...how much did my prayers really help.
Friends, I want to encourage you today that what I have learned through studying about the power of prayer is that it is not about getting the results you want! Prayer is about developing a deep, personal relationship with the Creator and Savior of your life! He longs for you to come to Him and share your burdens, cares, hurts, joys and concerns with Him. Prayer is growing closer to the Lord and learning to cast all your cares on Him and then learning to leave the results up to Him...no matter how hard that can be sometimes. Prayer is about faith. It's trusting with your whole heart that God desires to be near you and help you! In Luke 18 Jesus gives a parable of a persistent widow that gives me so much comfort in my prayer life. The story is about a widow who continually goes to a judge, who did not fear God or respect man, and she is persistent in asking the judge to give her justice against her adversary. Time after time the judge refused the woman! Until one day he says that even though he does not fear God or respect her...he is going to grant her request because she has been so persistent in coming to him. Christ uses this story to explain that if a man who does not fear the Lord, or have any respect for people can grant the request of a widow...how much more does our Father love to see us coming to Him with persistence and an urgency to have our requests fulfilled! Verse 7 says, " And will not GOD give justice to "his elect" who cry to Him day and night?"
This parable is a reminder to us that no matter how many times you have to come to Lord for an issue in your life...He wants to know and in one way or another He is going to answer you! It might not always be answered in the way you wanted, but I promise that as you seek Him diligently He will give you a deeper faith and help you to get through whatever answer you receive! There is a saying that people say all the time. It says, " there is power in prayer". If you struggle with believing that I want to encourage you not to lose heart! Christ tells us at the beginning of this story that we should always pray and that we shouldn't lose heart! As you draw near to Him...He will supply you with the faith you need to get through whatever you are facing! I encourage each of you to spend time journaling your prayers to the Lord, and watch in expectation at what He will do in your life!
To build a strong relationship with someone you have to spend time talking to them, listening to them and enjoying them.
That is what the Lord wants to do with you through prayer.
Whatever you are facing today I pray that you would take a couple moments out of your day to talk with the Lord. Don't lose heart my friends...He is just a prayer away!
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
-Jeremiah 33:3
I have spent so much time lately talking to girls and guys about the struggle to find their purpose in life.
They ache and yearn to do something bigger and greater.
They have a need to help people....reach people....and find out what the future holds for them.
Last week in my small group a guy was talking about his need to do great things in this world beyond his every day job. His eyes almost teared up as he tried his hardest to explain how much he wanted to do more with his life than just go to work and spend time with friends. You could feel his passion for seeking God's will, and at the same time you could see how his spirit was wrestling with where exactly that passion was going to take him. He wanted to know so badly where his future was headed. Humbly he admitted he was fearful of where God was going to take him...but thankfully, he said his yearning to do more for God was beginning to overpower the fear!
His passion and honesty made everyone stop and think....
I also know a young couple whose passion for the Lord is strikingly evident to anyone who knows them. Their faith is deep and their passion and authenticity for the Lord's work is so refreshing. They have a desire to do great things and feel called by the Lord to take a step out in faith, but they find themselves wondering what step to take first. They yearn for something more...something bigger and something greater to serve Him better....but where exactly does that take them they wonder....
A dear dear friend of mine knows that God is calling her to a specific purpose in her life! She feels called by Him to do something that means she would have to step out in faith and trust Him COMPLETELY to handle all the details. She knows this is from the Lord, but aches to hear Him give a firm confirmation that this is where she should go....
Do you find yourself in a situation like this?
Are you yearning to know what your future holds?
Do you long to do something great...but you aren't even sure what that "great" thing is?
Are you fearful of everything in your life and not giving the Lord control?
I have been so blessed in this last month to have developed some deep relationships with new and old friends that have spent time sharing with me their fears, dreams, hopes and concerns about wanting to do something great with their future.
I love to listen to people who are searching for the things of the Lord.
I love to listen because I know in my heart and believe with everything inside of me that if they are desiring to do something great for the Lord....HE WILL HELP THEM ACHIEVE IT!!!!!
The Lord has shown me through a closer walk with Him that there isn't anything He can't do!!!!
So many times in life we can get weighed down by circumstances, people's negative attitudes, or even believers who live their lives in defeat...even though they serve a mighty GOD!
It is not always easy to live in victory in this fallen and broken world. Bad things happen....really bad things sometimes....but that doesn't change who God is and what He will do!
I want to encourage you my sweet brothers and sisters that God wants to reveal to you His plan for your life. In Jeremiah 33:3 God tells Jeremiah, "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known"
That verse has completely changed my way of thinking!
If we really wrap our minds around the fact that those words came from the Lord...then we should allow our fear to be washed away by the promise we read in His word!
" Call to Me", He says!
Any decision you are facing...CALL TO HIM
Any fear you are facing for your future...CALL TO HIM
He promises in His Word that He will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
Trade fear for trust.
Trade confusion for peace...
and He will reveal to you where you should go!
Oh how He loves you and me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
