Pray Without Ceasing!

You've probably heard the ole saying, pray without ceasing. It's actually taken from 1Thessalonians 5:17. However, do you know what it means to pray without ceasing? It means to pray without stopping. Our prayers are heard in heaven and we have the honor to petition to the Lord our concerns of this world. Sometimes God's answers are a quick yes, sometimes a flat out no, and other times is a wait!

Some prayers take years to see a difference. Some prayers come by assignment. Some prayers are the desires of our heart. It's okay to have desires in your heart. If they aren't from God, He's big enough to handle it for you and get you on the right track. Even the worst prayer can be changed and you will probably be changed in the process too!

I have found myself in a lifestyle of prayer. This means before my feet hit the floor, I say, "Good morning Lord! What do you have for me today?" It means as I'm going through my day I'm talking to God. It means when I lie down at night, I say a prayer before I fall asleep. If something is weighing heavy on me, I kneel by my bed to talk to Him until peace comes and then I can climb into my bed. This means I literately walk with the Lord all day and am in regular conversation. It also means when I'm driving down the road and people see me moving my lips and hands in my car, without anyone sitting next to me, yea... I'm cray cray for Jesus! :D

He is my redeemer, restorer, healer, and  the video above is to give you an insight as to how that came about. I tell you my friend.... With God all things ARE possible! Mark 10:27


                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Stirring Within...

Heaven and Earth

We stood by his bedside. He was in an awkward position as his head was tipped toward the ceiling and his eyes looked around, he was awake! However, I couldn't tell if he was "with us" because they seemed to wander aimlessly. The accident he was in nearly killed him. He had slowly been making progress but coming in and out of conciseness as medications were given to him to sedate him  to keep him still. His situation left many wondering about the severity of damage from the accident and I couldn't help but wonder,
"Oh Lord, did he receive brain damage?" 

I decided to focus on why I was there. I was not going to let my eyes determine what I would believe. After his wife let him know we were there, I  shared with him, "I'm here because I awoke this morning with a stirring in my Spirit for you. God has put it on many people's hearts to pray for you, including me. I believe God wants to do something good for you tonight. I have been praying for you since I've heard of the accident, but today I sensed I needed to come down and pray with you." His wife stood at my side nodding and affirming my words.

I closed my eyes, to focus on the Lord rather than his condition. I lay my hands on his arm and I began thanking God for this man in our lives. I thanked the Lord for sending me in and I was going to add my prayers to all the other prayers of the saints which had already been sent up. I began to pray what I had gotten on my way there while driving, "The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you and He quickens your mortal body." That was the breaker, a flow began and I prayed and then I would wait, and then I would speak words of declarations as I heard them. He moved his arm to hold my hand. I continued to pray and could feel strength in his hand. I prayed, waited, spoke, and prayed again until there was quietness within. I felt I had come to bless him with what had been stirring within. Peace came over me.

He attempted to make direct communication with his wife. This was a new level of progress! However, with the trachea, we could not hear his voice, but it was very clear that he was coherent. She asked him to try again and he lipped, "Where am I?" She explained to him that he was in the hospital and that he had an accident. He rolled his eyes and gently shook his head in a no position. He understood what she was saying! Then he asked how long he was there and she told him 22 days! I added that he had been sleeping for three weeks! He gently shook his head again. He tried to say something else, but we couldn't make out what it was. He was looking at me when he was lipping it. I told him I was not that good at lip reading and he gave a little smile because he understood. Then I encouraged my husband to move to a position where he could see him better. He turned his head and eyes and looked toward my husband and my husband said, "Once you get better, we need to go and get some coffee," he then gave a bigger smile. We were all very grateful for his progress. I left him with encouraging words, "God has made you a strong man and He has brought you through a lot and He will be faithful to bring you through the rest." He received it and we could tell he was getting tired.  He has a long journey ahead, but he's a strong man with a strong God on his side.

On our way home I was talking to my husband about the importance of following the leading of the Lord. Every time we obey God, there is a reaction. When our prayers connect to the Heavenly Father's heart, something moves. It doesn't always happen as joyful as our encounter tonight. Never the less, it's moments like these that builds us up in faith and give us courage to press in and believe for the greater things. I also posed a question. What if the world was full of people who went by the leading and timing of the Lord? I'm sure it would have a tremendous impact on the lives of many. Who knows,.. the world could be a better place! I am thankful I went tonight and it dawned on me what I think he was trying to say to me as he kept looking into my eyes and moving his lips, it was an appreciative, "Thank you."

God Bless!
Deborah :)

The Hook... What If?

The moment I woke up and rolled over in the morning,  I knew I was in for a battle. I had been challenging those around me to set their minds on the things of the Lord and today was going to be my day  to practice what I had been "preaching."

Our cafe' hit an all time low the day before. It was strange because Friday's had always been one of our best days. I went to bed saying all the right things to one of my partners, my daughter, but I awoke with her concerns.

It started as a low rumble as a "what if?" As the morning progressed the "what ifs" became full on sentences. What if I misunderstood the leading of the Lord? What if the cafe' fails? What if I'm stuck with a debt-load and no way to pay it?

Before I left my house to fulfill my shift, I knew I was in a true "head on" battle.  On my way in, I was reminded of something I had recently read... fear robs us of faith. Yes! I was becoming consumed in fear and the "what ifs" were my hook. My faith was depleting and fear was becoming a crippling monster.

It is up to me to choose what I will allow to consume my mind. The Holy Spirit bubbled scripture up from within,

     For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds
     casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God
     BRINGING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY to the obedience of Christ- 2 Cor. 10:4-6a

I decided that I was not going to stay in that place of fear. I also wasn't going to base my day, my thoughts, and actions on the fears of "what if?" I was gonna grab a  hold of that hook and cast it into the sea!

As I listened to worship music I had to force myself to sing. Somewhere within myself I was comfortable with the fears, perhaps because I had established a familiarity with it long ago. But as a growing believer, I knew I didn't want to stay there - I wasn't going to stay there. I then decided it was time for me to to talk to God. I began by thanking Him for the opportunity to have a business, to be able to be where we are, and to be called by Him for such a time as this to work with two other generations. In prayer, my focus began to shift! I began to I to apply the principals of authority I had been learning, "In Christ I don't have to submit to fear, I submit to faith! I do not relinquish the leading of the Lord. I know I have been called there for this time and this season. I will focus on the vision and let God be my provision!"  I went on and on and proclaimed God's goodness. Slowly the fear began to melt. I pressed in further. I began to pray for the other stores in our galleria. I realized they too were feeling the pinch. I continued to pray my way to work. Before I knew it,  my half hour ride was complete.

As soon as my foot hit the threshold of the store, I knew, that I knew, that I knew, I was where I belonged. As the day unfolded, I watched God work in the natural realm as well as the spiritual realm. Our sales went up and so did a few prayers. Most of all, the faith which God established in me arose once again and the fears disappeared. I felt peace in my soul and the confidence that God is our provider was re-established.

The "what ifs" shifted. "What if God called me here to enjoy this season with my spiritual mom and daughter? What if God wants me here to be connected to the people at the store? What if this new thing we're doing makes it possible for others dreams to come true? By faith the hook was thrown back to me, by the greatest fisherman of all time, and was baited with the victory side of "what ifs!"

God Bless!
Deborah :)

Overcome Evil with Good

When tragedy strikes we take a stand back and wonder why. Why would a “so called,” All Powerful, All Knowing, and All Loving God allow such a thing? Where is His hand in the midst of such a terrible situation? The shock of the news leaves us numb as we sort out the information that trickles in. As for the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, it was a tragedy. A tragedy that we wished never happened. So many young innocent victims lost their lives, all too soon. It was a tragedy, at the hand of an ill young man. A tragedy where evil showed it’s ugly face once again.

Our world is the place where each and every person has the opportunity to choose how they will live. Will they live in goodness or evil? Our all loving and mighty God allows mankind to have that free will. We are not puppets on a string. As much as we could live our lives to help mankind, we can also live our lives to destroy mankind. Just as God and goodness needs willing vessels to make it known in this world, so does sin and evil. Sin is a friend to Satan and needs willing vessels in order to prove it is alive and active in humanity. Each time a person surrenders to sin, evil prevails. Sin always leads to death. It destroys relationships and lives. It has a way to eat at the core of all God’s goodness and mandate to mankind, “Be fruitful multiply and subdue the earth.” The enemy knows he is the prince of the air. He sends out commands to his demonic forces to work directly against the goodness of God for mankind and His creation. For every good thing, there is it’s counterfeit of evil.

We mourn with those who have lost their loved ones because we know the pain of loss is great. We may even ask ourselves, how can we help now? We cannot ever bring back their loved ones. Since God does call us to "partner" with Him, we too can overcome evil with good. Here are just a few ideas:

• Pray for the families and the community. We can ask that the Lord to pour out his grace and mercy in a special way. We can also pray the Lord keep them from going into bondage of fear and anxiety. 
• Focus on the "heroes" of that day. Rather than allowing evil to consume our thoughts. We need to praise the Lord for those who were willing to take a stand against evil. 
•  We can hold prayer vigils on their behalf and let our tears flow “with them” as our hearts ache for them.
• We can also send cards and gifts to them and their community. Even though the whole community's lives have been turned upside down, there will be children and families that need to have a sense of normalcy. For some of them it means Santa is suppose to come to on Christmas. With so many families being impacted by this tragedy, it's possible "Santa" could "forget." But with the help from so many, I believe we will see something positive coming from something so extremely difficult. For further information on sending cards or gifts - click:
•  http://www.ktvn.com/story/20358955/sandy-hook-school-fund-established

As people press into God for help, God will provide “out of this world” answers to their sorrow and pain. He WILL overcome evil with good. God will impart compassion and ideas, which provide ways for believers to help in this time of need.

Even though it seems like evil has prevailed, God in His abundance of life will have the final victory and we can join Him in this endeavor.

 

May this video provide some hope, healing, and restoration to those in need...