Father, You are our rock, our fortress and our deliverer.  Our God, our rock in whom we take refuge.  Our shield and the horn of our salvation, our stronghold and our refuge.  You save us from violence.  We call upon You Lord and we are saved from our enemies.  In our distress we call to You, Lord.  Yes we cry to You our God.  You hear our voice and our cries for help comes into Your ears.  You deliver us from our strong enemy from those who hate us and are too strong for us.  You are our support.  You rescue us because You delight in us.  Help us to keep Your ways and not act wickedly against You, our God.  Help us to keep ourselves from iniquity.  You are our lamp and You illuminate our darkness.  Your ways are blameless. Your word is tested.  You are a shield to all who take refuge in You, are our strong fortress.  You train our hands for battle.  You have given us the shield of Your salvation and You help makes us great.  You gird us with strength for the battle and blessed be the Rock of our salvation.  We will give thanks to You, O Lord.  We will sing praises to Your name. You are a tower of deliverance and show lovingkindness to us Your anointed, forever.  Amen  [II Samuel 22]

Selah,

Lyn

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*Jesus was a very real person like you and me.  He experienced every temptation that we face in our lives.  Just as Jesus often went off by Himself to pray to the Father, so should we. We should be devoted to prayer with an attitude of thanksgiving.   

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving Colossians 4:2

*We are to be praying as the Holy Spirit guides us.  Be sensitive to the Holy Spirits leading when talking with someone…they may be needing prayer at that time. Pray also for boldness in sharing Jesus with others. 

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view,  be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, ¹⁹ and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:18-20

*There are times when I do not know what to pray but I know that when my heart is heavy and there are no words, the Holy Spirit intercedes for me to the Father.

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; ²⁷ and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

Do you have an inner room to pray in secret to the Father?  I do not but I do have a place where I go in the quiet time of the morning to spend time with the Father.  It is my most treasured time of the day.

But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6

Prayer is powerful and we should be doing it often throughout our day.  Look for opportunities to pray and be bold in your prayers.  Pray according to His will and it will be done.  Sometimes our prayer requests are a long time in coming but don’t give up…His timing is perfect.

Selah,

Lyn

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If we are honest, there is not a single day that we can say “I’m good enough”. We may be born again Christians and sin no longer has reign over our souls, but we still fight with the flesh daily and have to surrender our motives, our desires, our whims  and fancies over to the grace of God. Paul who called himself “ chief of sinners” expressed this spiritual battle: “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” Romans‬ ‭7:22-23‬ 

God doesn’t want sin to have any dominion or hold on us. He longs for us to be free of its crippling grasp. The Bible devotes much to the topic of sin and righteousness to make us aware of its toxic effects. He doesn’t want us to cover up and hide our sin but He wants to expose and uproot it. If we ignore sin or try to hide it, it will just fester under the surface and spread like a metastatic cancer until it is destroying us from deep within. The reason it is so destructive is because it hinders our relationship with God and hinders us from being able to glorify Him. 

We may be sinners but the wonderful news of the gospel is that we have forgiveness and atonement for our sin through the shed blood of Christ. Because we know that God will forgive us, we can stop trying to put forward a false image of being “ a good person” and we can ask God to shine the spotlight into the deepest, darkest recesses of our being to expose any unrecognized or unrelinquished sin. Even if we fool other people or fool ourselves, God knows our true motives and agendas. “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.”  Psalm‬ ‭139:1-5‬ 

How uplifting it is to meet with God in prayer and confess sin so that He can cleanse our hearts, restoring sweet, unhindered fellowship with Him.  What peace and rest we can experience when we let God cleanse us. If we are struggling with a particular area of sin we can ask God to give us victory. As we surrender to the process of being made more and more into the image of Christ we will be renewed, strengthened, and refreshed. 

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm‬ ‭51:10‬ ‭

Ephesians 6:18

After telling Christians about each piece of the armor of God, Paul adds on another crucial part of our uniform. Prayer. And although it’s not something we wear, without it, winning any war is impossible. Why? Because prayer is our lifeline to the power of God. And as our great Commander, the instructions we receive through prayer can mean the difference success and failure. 

To be a victorious prayer warrior, Paul goes on to give us, the soldiers of God, practical applications when praying. First he tells us to pray in the Spirit. Praying in the Spirit isn’t about the words we say. Instead it means praying according to the prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit then carries those petitions to our Heavenly Father and lays them at His feet. But praying in the Spirit can only happen when we have a close, personal, relationship with God. 

Next Paul tells us to stay alert. Being alert includes being sober minded and watchful. (1 Peter 5:8) For the Enemy’s attacks are never ending, and his deviousness knows no bounds. But nothing stops Satan faster in his tracks then when we drop to our knees in prayer. So just like soldiers who keep their guns at the ready, we are to be ready at a moments notice to go to God with all perseverance in constant and fervent prayer. 

Paul ends by telling us the the importance of praying for the needs of other believers. I once read that as prayer warriors, we are spiritual weapons in God's mighty hand. I love that! That means we have the honor and great privilege of being part of God’s master plan. And when we pray for others, we become important, intricate, parts of seeing that plan come to fruition. Both in the world, and in the lives of other Christians.

Today I challenge you to prepare for battle. The days are growing darker and shorter before the Lord’s return. But until that glorious day, we are to be powerful prayer warriors on the battlefield of a Satan ruled world. So pray! Pray in the Spirit, in all alertness, and for the needs of the world! 

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Father, I earnestly and humble come before You.  I have been so caught up with things of this world and they have only brought me anxiety, worry and fear.  I keep looking at my circumstances instead of focusing on You.  You are the only One who can bring me peace and joy.  You are the only One who answers my prayers. You are the only One who can guard my heart in Christ Jesus.  I come to You with a thankful heart for all that You have done for me in my lifetime.  I thank You that You have answered and will continue to answer all of my prayers and petitions before You.  I ask You for____________________________.  I will keep, asking, seeking and knocking, with a humble heart before You.  I know that my prayers are a delight to You.  I wait expectantly to see what and how You will accomplish Your will.  In Jesus name, Amen

Selah,

Lyn

Proverbs 15:8-9: “The sacrifice of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight! ⁹ The way [of life] of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord, But He loves one who pursues righteousness [personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character].”

By carefully reading these verses we can realize that the prayer of a child of God is an offering that pleases Him. He delights and loves one who fears Him and wants to live in His ways. We are so privileged to have God’s word and be able to pray His word back to Him! Imagine, what would be of our prayer life without the Psalms?

David was a man that had a passion for God. He continually prayed to God, and offered his heart with praise and worship through his Psalms. He was not a perfect man, but was one who prayed from his heart, to the heart God!

 “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man; but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.” (Psalm 147:10-11)

In God he found his delight, and he also knew God was pleased by this!

When David failed and sinned against God, he also knew he was falling in the path of the wicked and realized he had deeply displeased his Lord:

“My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17 AMP

In our prayer time with the Lord we must come to Him with a humble and repentant heart, because we fail so many times in our day to day! As Paul wrote in Romans 12:1

“ ^[a]Therefore I urge you, ^[b]brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.” 

He also knew how to pray from his heart to the heart of God, dedicating his whole being to Him!

If we continue reading Proverbs 15, we fill find how the writer continues to highlight the importance of the prayers of God’s children:

^26 “The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight.

 ²⁹ The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. (15:26, 29  Emphasis mine)

When we come –pray- to our Heavenly Father in total surrender we find the hope, the strength and the purpose of our lives, even in the midst of trial and difficulties:

Yes, let us rejoice in Him for He listens, cares, and delights in us as we seek Him in prayer!!

Next time you come to “your secret place” remember that the prayer from your heart to His heart is a pleasing sacrifice to Him. He is Worthy!!

Mari

“"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”  Matthew‬ ‭7:7-11‬ ‭

Perhaps you doubt that your prayer makes a difference. Based on God’s Word prayer is vital in our relationship with God. Jesus encouraged us to pray and when we put forth the effort to pray, God responds. There are three actions described here. 

ASK: We need to make our requests known. Going to God is a recognition that you have needs and you need His help. God doesn’t want us to think that we are self sufficient and do not need Him. Contrary to what some may teach, however, this is not a promise that God will give us our every whim and desire. He is not a genie in a bottle. But, He will give us what we He determines we need and what is best for us according to His will. 

Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” is an example of this: “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”  2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:8-9‬ ‭

SEEK: God wants us engaged with Him and His Word. He wants us to have an inquiring mind and a teachable heart. Seeking God grows our faith and prayer is an act of faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”  Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭

God wants to hear from us but He also wants to impart His wisdom to us. Prayer is meant to be a two way communication. 

KNOCK: We knock on a door when we seek admittance. That means we believe that someone will respond and give us access. Prayer becomes that knock on heaven’s door and through the blood of Jesus, we have access to the very throne of God. We have access no matter our race, sex, age, position, etc. We can enter even though we are not worthy. Christ makes us worthy. He is that door of access to our Heavenly Father. 

These verses also teach us about God’s nature. We aren’t promised every thing we desire but we are promised that God will give us good things. If selfish, human parents can provide what they know is good for their children vs what would harm them, how much more can we trust in the goodwill of our Heavenly Father to provide what He knows will be for our ultimate good.

May I encourage you to embrace prayer as vital to your Christian growth and wellbeing. It’s very simple. Your Heavenly Father is waiting for you, His beloved child ,to meet with Him. Ask, seek, knock. He will provide, be available and bless You with what is meant for your ultimate good. 

It's important to note that Jesus makes this promise while speaking to His disciples the evening just before his arrest and crucifixion. I believe Jesus, knowing all that was about to transpire, was imparting full authority to them by giving them the power to ask in His name. At that time, to speak in the name of a person meant to fully represent them in all ways.

Therefore, Jesus was promising His disciples that while they were fulfilling their mission; He would do anything they asked Him to do while asking with the authority of His name. In short, He was handing His disciples a great privilege as well as a tremendous responsibility, but what does this promise mean to us?

First and foremost asking in His name is acknowledging His authority-  that Jesus is the only way to God's throne of grace. In other words our standing before the Father is based solely on the finished work of Jesus alone. We come to Him in prayer, not through our own  merit, but in the name of Jesus. We have been united to Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection, and now through our prayers.

Secondly, we must pray wholly surrendered to His will not ours. How often have we prayed believing we know what the answer should be and were disappointed when the outcome did not turn out as we planed? 

Praying according to God’s will is to pray in alignment with his character. It’s seeking to pray for things Christ would desire. It is praying in a way that views life from God’s perspective. And beloved, the better we know our Savior the easier it will be to be assured of His will, and to be able to boldly and confidently approach His throne of grace. 

Finally, we should pray always seeking His glory alone, not our own, for that is our sole purpose for being here on this earth.

Keeping these three objectives in mind as we approach God in prayer should make it easier to pray for each of His children, for prayer is a beautiful and precious privilege. It is an honor to be given the right to come before God at any time and in any place, bringing all our petitions before Him. But we must pray in a way that acknowledges Christ and seeks to glorify Him always. 

Blessings, 

Sue

Philippians 4:6-7

The faith and love of the Lord exhibited by Paul never ceases to amaze me. No matter if he endured beatings, persecution, imprisonment, or a shipwreck, he never gave up. Nor did he give in to anxiety or despair. Does it mean he didn’t have those feelings, even for a brief minute? Of course not. For Paul, like us, always battled his human nature. But because of his close, personal, relationship with God, Paul experienced a peace beyond human understanding. And we can too.

Anxiety and worry go hand in hand with life. Especially as the days grow darker. But that doesn’t mean we have to stay trapped in the swirling cyclone of turmoil. We have a choice. But unfortunately some people get so used to being surrounded by anxiety and drama, without it they feel incomplete. And sadder still, some even thrive on it. But that’s no way for Christians to live. Because God wants to fill every area of our hearts, minds, and lives, with His perfect peace. 

First we need to believe in our minds that God is the Author of peace. Next we need to believe in our hearts that He will overflow us with that peace. And we do that by following Paul’s example of prayers and thanksgivings. How do we learn to pray and give thanks? By spending time in God’s Word, and applying His promises to our lives. For as we grow in our understanding of the overwhelming love our Heavenly Father has for His children, our minds can find the peace they so desperately crave. And our hearts can’t help but burst with thankfulness for all God is and does. 

As long we the earth is our home, we will encounter situations that will test our faith, and attempt to rattle our peace. But remembering that nothing happens without God’s say so, and He uses all things for our good, gives us a peace that transcends human understanding. I love the analogy of living in peace being like the petals of a flower unfolding in the morning sunlight. Our petals of peace open as we learn more about God. And as we soak in the sunshine of His perfect love, our petals blossom in His warmth and goodness. 

Today I challenge you to cast your cares on God through prayer. Give Him your worries, fears, and insecurities. Purposely focus your thoughts. Instead of worrying about what we can’t control, give God thanks for His many blessings each day. And remember all the times He has seen you through and delivered in the past. Make God your refuge. For when He is with us, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, we need fear! And we too can be anxious for nothing! 

 Ham Bean and Potato Soup

3/4 4 pound fully cooked ham, cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons butter

2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 cup diced peeled potatoes

3/4 cup diced carrots

3/4 cup diced celery

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, sauté the ham, onion and garlic in butter until onion is tender. Add the next seven ingredients; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Add peas and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in parsley.

Father, we come before you with humbleness of heart.  There are many burdens that we are all facing.  We ask You for peace in our situations as only You can give.  We lift up before you [___________] and ask that You intervene.  Some of our requests we are still waiting on and while we are waiting let us not grow weary and lose heart.  We know that You are a God who hears and answers according to Your will.  You are the God who moves mountains and nothing is impossible with you.  We know whom we believe and are convinced that You are able to guard what we have entrusted to You.  Lord You are near to all who call upon You in truth.  You will fulfill the desires of those who fear You.  We say to You, Lord, You are our God.  You are the strength of our salvation.  We give You thanks for You are good and Your steadfast love is everlasting!  Amen

Selah,

Lyn

Wisdom is the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting.

Knowledge, is information gained through experience, reasoning, or acquaintance.

Knowledge can exist without wisdom, but not the other way around. One can be knowledgeable without being wise.

James 3:13-18- talks about two kinds of wisdom

How can you tell between Godly wisdom and earthly wisdom?

Wisdom from above

·      Pure, peaceable, gentle reasonable

·      Full of mercy and good fruits

·      Unwavering and without hypocrisy

When God asked Solomon what he wished for he asked the Lord for wisdom in an understanding heart to discern between good and evil.  I Kings 3:5+9

Wisdom not from above

·      Earthly-earth and world

·      Natural-nature

·      Demonic-evil spirit

·      Double minded and unstable in all their ways

·      Lie against the truth

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. 1 Corinthians 3:19a

If we are not spending time in God’s Word how will we know what is His wisdom from above?  There are many who have good knowledge but do they really have the right wisdom? 

For instance many say that one has to forgive oneself to be set free from what bothers them.  But, my bible tells me that God says in 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Only God can forgive us.  We cannot forgive ourselves.  It is a matter of whether we believe that God can.

Sometimes just the like the father in Mark 9:23-24 - and Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.

Selah,

Lyn

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Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, knew that he was facing the biggest spiritual battle of a lifetime. He also knew that his disciples would be facing great spiritual battles too. He knew they would be afraid and feel alone as their leader was taken from their presence and imprisoned. He knew that even though they loved him and said they would never deny or forsake Him, that in their own strength, they would fail to carry through. He knew their weaknesses and He knew the cunning power of the enemy and that’s why he strongly encouraged them to pray.

Prayer is how we engage in spiritual warfare.Temptation is a tool of the devil used in the Garden of Eden to lure Eve and then Adam into sinful desires and disobedience to God. We all will face temptations. We may seem to have different weaknesses and pitfalls but God’s Word tells us that there’s no new temptation He hasn’t encountered and certainly no temptation He can’t help us overcome.

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭10:13‬ ‭

All temptation comes from the devil. We all have desires of our flesh that we battle to resist daily. God doesn’t create these battles but He provides the resources we need to overcome. 

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” James‬ ‭1:12-15‬ ‭

Knowing that we are weak in our flesh, God provided forgiveness for our failures/sins because He loved us enough to provide the sacrifice of His Son to redeem us. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are empowered spiritually to become Christlike and resist temptations. But we have to let Him have that power in our lives. 

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”  Romans‬ ‭13:14‬ ‭

In His time of deepest sorrow, Jesus had mankind on his mind. One of the most beautiful things about God taking on human flesh to dwell among man is that He can relate to all of our struggles and hardships. 

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”Hebrews‬ ‭4:15‬ ‭

Jesus provided reconciliation for us to God and He actively intercedes for us.  What a privilege to know we have access to the throne of God for our petitions and prayers. 

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews‬ ‭4:16

Reflection: 

What temptations do you struggle with? Do you try to handle the challenges of life in your own strength or do you approach the throne of God in prayer and seek His help? What priority do we give to prayer in being spiritually ready for battle?

I'm sure you're able to testify that at times, when we make a request to God, God often wishes to answer in a better way than we’ve prayed for. Therefore, I believe sometimes God denies our prayer requests because we’re thinking and asking too small. He wants to give us something bigger and better that will put His glory on display! But first, he has to prepare our hearts for it. So God uses delays in answering our prayer to help us grow, get ready, and prepare us for a bigger and better answers.

2.) Persistent prayer works to focus our attention.

God doesn’t need to be reminded! I believe it's more to remind us Who the source of our answers and all our needs is. If every prayer you ever prayed were instantly answered we might be tempted to look upon God as a Genie and fail to revere Him as we should. God wants us to reverence the Blesser over the blessings. 

3.) Persistent prayer clarifies our request.

A delayed answer gives us time to search within to see exactly what we are asking for and to refine our prayers if need be. I believe when we persist in prayer to your heavenly Father, it tend to separate the deep longings from mere whims. It’s not that God doesn’t want to answer our prayers, but He wants us to be certain of what we really want.

4.) Persistent prayer tests our faith.

James 1:3-4 says, “When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (NLT). I believe God uses these times to grow our faith and those closest to us. Just think how Hannah's faith grew once her prayer was answered - enough to give her son Samuel back to God. Spiritual maturity comes from having our faith tested, one of the ways God’s going to test our faith is by delaying some answers to your prayers.

Finally, we need to remember while we are persisting in prayer that: 

• God does hear our prayers. 
• He knows our heart and our deepest longings.
• He has our best interests at heart and see the big picture.
• His answers are sometime, wait 
• And sometimes His answer is no, but we can trust that it is only because He has something better in mind for each of us.