Look Up for the Battle is Truly the Lord's

I've always heard "God gives His hardest battles to His strongest warriors".  I believe that is true.  I'm sure that some of those warriors would not agree.  In fact I don't think those warriors felt like they were strong at all.

Let me back up and explain something first, actually a couple of things:

#1  Not every battle we face is because of God or because of our faith.  We bring some of our battles on ourselves.  i.e. bad choices, bad company, rebellion, neglect are just a few of the things that can get us into trouble.

#2  Our sole purpose on this earth is not to grow rich, grow famous, get married, have kids, have a career, etc.  Whatever prosperity we have is solely blessings from God, not what we deserve.  Our purpose is to bring honor and glory to God, our creator.
Shock!!!...  Do they tell you that in church.  Probably not.  Modern day churches preach as if God owes us something, when in fact it is just the opposite. We owe God EVERYTHING, literally.

Let's take a look back in history at some of God's warriors.  (These aren't in any particular order or if they happen to be it is purely accidental.  I am just listing them as they come to mind.)  

First, Job, he was a man dearly loved by God.  Did he do anything to cause the battles he endured?  One thing, he loved God.  He believed God.  His battles drew him even closer to God.  No matter what happened, he would not turn on God.  In fact, he said in Job 19:25-26, "As for me, I know my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on this earth.  Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God."

Can you imagine?  Job lost his children, all his livestock, his home, everything dear to him.  He had boils covering his body and yet HE DID NOT DENY GOD.
People tried to get him to admit he had done something to cause the curses that came on him.  They thought surely he had to have done something.  Job knew he hadn't but he knew God and he believed God.  He was a warrior, chosen by God.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace, DID NOT DOUBT GOD.  They told the king even if God did not save them, He was still God and they would not bow to another.    Daniel 3:16-18, 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18“But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

God's only son, Jesus, chosen by God Himself to be the one to die on the cross for us.  

Every instance of every warrior, their faith did not waiver.  When little David went up against the giant Goliath, he trusted God.  When Daniel was thrown into the lion's den, he trusted God.

That is why God gives His toughest battles to His strongest warriors because through the battle their faith remains.  There may be  lapses of weakness but their faith does not waiver.

The war is not against death, infirmities, cancer, aids, autism, etc.  The war is against the powers of darkness that would separate us from God if they could.   To name a few: the parents who have lost a child to sickness, disease or accident, keeping the faith that God will reunite them someday.  The person who has fought cancer or has a family member or loved one that fought or is fighting cancer, keeping the faith that if not cured in this life, they will be cured in eternity.  The person who stares down the barrel of a gun being told to deny God, that says, I will not deny my God even in the face of death.  The missionaries over seas who are killed, beheaded etc for their faith in God.   I doubt any of these warriors would tell you they were strong.  I am sure most of them would have said they could never make it through something like that.  But they have.  How do they fight?  What keeps them going?  God.  Their faith in God, their insistence that God will get the glory regardless, their belief that no matter what happens,  God is still God.

The next time you face a battle, remember that even when things are hardest God is right there with you.  

Philipians 4:13 says, " 13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Not some things, but all things.  God has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  

I wish I could say the battles would be easy but if they were we wouldn't lean so much on God and we would lean too much on ourselves.  What I can say, with certainty, is that God will never leave you or forsake you.  God does not lie, what He says in His word He means.

Ending with this:  Ephesians 6:10-17, " 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

How did they all fight those battles, look up!

God bless.

Right Where You Left Him

Do you ever get surprised when you look at something you work with (maybe something you really love), and find out you haven't touched it in weeks, months or maybe a year or years?  I do this all the time and I just did it again with my blog.  I realized it's been almost a year since I've written anything (here).  I still write, just hasn't been a blog.  A comment here, a status there, etc.  You get the drift?  As usual when I get to pondering I relate my musings to my walk with God.
Do you find yourself doing God the same way?  You talk to Him constantly, read your Bible, pray faithfully and then it seems like all of a sudden you realize you haven't prayed in a while, you haven't read your Bible in a while.  When was the last time?  Surely it was yesterday?  No, not yesterday I was gone all day yesterday.  Maybe it was Saturday?  No not Saturday, I had company all day.  Friday?  No, went shopping Friday and fell into bed when I got home.  Sound familiar?
You know the amazing thing?  God is faithful.  He is always there, when YOU return.  He never goes anywhere.  He never forgets you and never leaves you.  God is still on the throne and still right there with you even when you forget Him.
Maybe it's been a while since you've talked to God.  Maybe it's an accident or maybe you feel like you have done something so bad that He doesn't want to talk to you.  Whatever the reason, know this one thing...He is waiting right where you left Him.  Nothing you can do can separate you from the love of God, His word says that.  Just remember you can walk away from Him and one day eternity WILL separate you.  Have a talk with Him tonight, make sure everything is okay.  He loves you and He is waiting to talk to you.

Unlocking the Power of Prayer

Hebrews 11:6, But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
How do we diligently seek Him?  Prayer, constant communication.
James 5:16,Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Quite a lot of people believe you can only pray when you are kneeling, either with your head bowed and your hands folded or with your arms outstretched and looking upward (while still on your knees),  Screaming out and crying to God to make sure He hears you.  Stay with me, don't cut me off because you don't like what I just said and think well she's a flake because you can and do pray like this.  I am NOT saying this is not one way to pray, but I am saying this is ONLY one way to pray.   There are lots of ways and God hears every single one, whether you are crying out loud, screaming, whispering or having an internal talk with Him in your mind.   The key to prayer is diligence, frequency and especially faith!  The wonderful thing about God is that you can go to Him anytime, in any situation or circumstance and in any manner that you are able to do at that moment.  He doesn't care, all He cares about is that you are talking to Him.  Do you know He waits and longs for us to do that?  The key ingredient to ANY relationship is communication, how could it be any less with our loving Father, our creator?  
What I hope to share with you is some major points to help you increase or possibly have a more "effectual, fervent" prayer life.  That is my prayer for you and my leading from the Lord today.
Number 1, you can never be disqualified as a person of prayer so don't let anyone discourage you (including yourself).  Don't ever think you can't pray, if you can talk, you can pray.  Picture a loving Father who is always available, never ignores you, never rejects you, is never to busy for you and is always waiting for you.  Don't allow discouragement over an unanswered prayer to cause you to doubt that God has heard you.  If you have received His son Jesus and are praying in His name, (John 16:23, And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give [it] you.), then God hears you, and something is happening, whether you can see it right at this moment or not.  He is on it!  Every time you pray, you are advancing God's purpose for you.  Our spiritual well-being depends on two kinds of regular prayer.  One is our prayer between us and God, the other is enlisting the prayers of other believers, praying for one another.  (Matthew 18:19, Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.)  We are not in this battle of life alone, God will fight every battle for us, but, we have to call on Him and believe that He is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.  Then we have other soldiers to go to battle with and for us and that is where prayer warriors come in.  Never be afraid to ask God for anything (in Jesus name) and never be afraid to ask someone to help you pray.  You don't have to tell them even specifically what it is, God knows, they just need to pray in agreement with you.  The other thing is seek to know the will of God so you can pray the will of God.   James 4:3, (KJV) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume [it] upon your lusts.  Or more simply put:  James 4:3 (NIV) When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  That does not mean that God will not give you things you ask for, but we have to keep in mind that He will not (cannot) give us things that are contrary to His word.  If what we are praying and asking for goes against any of the ten commandments (God's laws) then we are praying amiss.  If we are praying harm against someone else, we are praying amiss.  You might wonder who would do that but unfortunately there are people who do.  If something we want would take something away from someone else or cause them distress or harm, we are praying amiss.  Sometimes we don't think of the consequences of our prayers on other people.  Because of the length of this blog, I am going to continue this later but I would like to leave you with this.
1) Speak to God anytime, anyplace.  2) It is important to have some quality alone time in prayer with God, (just keep in mind, that is NOT the only time you can talk to Him, so talk to Him quietly in your mind anytime, even if it's just to say, I love you!)  3)  Don't worry if you feel like you are or can only pray for yourself right then, praying for others will come, God knows your heart and feels your pain.  I don't want to reduce prayer to a routine, repetitive prayer or formula but here are a few suggestions to include in your prayer time:  1)  Tell Him how much you love Him, He never gets tired of hearing it, just like we don't get tired of hearing it.  2)  Thank Him for everything He has done for you, if you are particularly thankful for something, mention that specifically.  3)  Admit your dependence on Him, that you are powerless without Him and that you need His strength to make it through your situations.  4)  Confess anything you feel you have done wrong, if nothing comes to mind at that particular moment, just simply ask Him to forgive you where you may have sinned against Him and/or others.  5)  Ask Him for forgiveness for others and express your own forgiveness for harms or wrongs you feel others have done.  6)  Tell Him everything that is on your heart and mind, release it all to Him, good, bad, ugly, everything.  He is the One that you can trust with your inner most feelings and secrets and He won't go tell anyone.  7)  Give Him all your requests, all your needs, all your desires.  8)  Wait for Him to speak to your Heart, this requires allowing Him a little quiet time to speak to you also.  9)  Praise Him for His being in your life and everything He is and does.  Tell Him over and over how much you love Him if that is what your heart is feeling.  10)  You don't need fancy words, or eloquent speeches.  God knows your heart, He knows how you talk, how you think.  Be yourself, come to His throne humbly and with meekness, with an attitude of gratitude.  I've gone to Him at times when I didn't even feel like praying and my faith was weak and said, "Father, I love you but I can't feel You.  I want to pray but nothing is coming, help me, lead me, guide me, comfort me and hold me until I get through this.  Don't let go of me."  You know what?  He did!!!  Praise God.  My relationship and walk with Him is the most important thing in my life and there have been times when I wasn't even sure I could believe He would answer my prayers but those times I asked Him to hang on to me because I knew it would pass.  Those were my lowest valleys, we all have them, we are not alone.  He is with us.  What does it say in Psalms 23?, "yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me", translators say this can also mean our darkest valley.  We have nothing to fear, we serve a powerful God who is fully capable to meet our every need, our every desire.  We only have to have faith the grain of a mustard seed, look at one sometime, see just how tiny it is.  Don't put limits on God and don't put limits on yourself and your communication with Him.  Constant, fervent prayer is simply put - constant communication.  Talk to Him like He is your parent, your best friend, your partner and standing right beside you, because He is.
In another blog I will list some reasons to pray (as if any of us need those, lol) and also an easy way to remember who to pray for.  If these help you praise God, if you already know them, praise God.
In love,
Til next time
God bless

God's Ways are NOT Our Ways

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
How true that is! Of one thing I am certain, God cannot lie!  When He said in Jeremiah 29:11, (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11, (KJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
One thing is definite, He is for us not against us and He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him.  I have come from court this morning from a divorce that I did not want but I came out with the outlook that God has plans for me, plans that I might prosper and that through Him I do have hope for the future.  I truly have cast all my cares on Him because I know He cares for me and I am truly thankful to have Him as the author of my life.  Without Him I am nothing.  As my tears fell this morning, I was surrounded by others God has placed in my life that truly care and I saw His blessings.  Then I got home and the first thing I saw on facebook is this note that I am sharing below.  I love the way God works in and around and through me and others and the way He shares confirmation with me in the smallest of ways.  I love you Lord!  You ARE worthy to be praised!  
Enjoy this and I hope it gives you who read it comfort as it did me.  It is written by Sarah Misch and her page is Sisters in Christ (Women's fellowship).  I pray she doesn't mind me sharing and I give her and God full credit as well as thanks for uplifting me in a very trying time.
GOD HEARS (by Sarah Misch)  If you have facebook you should be able to click the title and read the actual note.

God Hears

by Sisters In Christ (Women's Fellowship) on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 11:39am

I know there is times when we wonder if He is listening. I think many times we know the scriptures in our head, but it hasn't got to our hearts yet. Or, maybe sometimes we know He hears, but wonder what will come of our prayers, our cries, our tears. Am I, this one insignificant person in the grand scheme of this universe, going to be important enough for God to not only hear but also act? Will I get an answer, will I see a miracle when so many are far worse off than me? I wonder how often everyday around this world these thought are spoken in people's hearts. 

Psalm 56:8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

God not only hears and sees your cries, but He keeps records of your heartbreaks and collects your tears. That is a love beyond my imagination. We can not limit God in His abilities based on our human understanding of things. He is fully capable of loving each and every person on this earth with the greatness and fullness of His love. 

Isaiah 65:24 I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

Psalm 91:15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.

I'm so excited I could break into laughter right now. God already knows before you asked Him! He already answered before you started praying! He already has went ahead of you to start working it all out! In Psalm it didn't say He might answer, it said He "will" answer. Lets fully understand the last part of that scripture though. He didn't say He would not ever let you go through troubled times. He said He'd be there. Right there with you, and what is He doing there - rescuing and honoring. He's going ahead of you, leading you through it all (if you will listen), and when it is over you are honored. You will have been strengthened in spirit, emotionally, and physically.

God does hear, and He does answer. You just have to trust Him, wait and listen. What we must remember though is to make sure what we are asking for is in accordance to His will. His will is shown throughout the scriptures. In reading them you will know how to pray.

1 John 5:14-15 Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

John 15:7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.

God bless you, sisters.

Sarah Misch

Thank you Sarah, thank you God and thank you all who have lifted me up in prayer and love.
God bless
tawanab

My Sacrifice

I had (past tense) been having what I considered bad days because it seemed like my prayers weren't getting through and nothing was going right, we've all those days right?  When talking to God I would have to ask Him to forgive my unbelief because even though I believe nothing is impossible with Him, I was doubting that some of the things I asked for were of His will.  Anyway, I was down and the depression was worsening.  I attended a revival and the pastor kept speaking "Lord make a way where there is no way".  That got through to my Spirit inspite of my fleshly depression!  All week he kept saying that.  Sunday morning our Pastor was preaching and He says, "Lord, make a way where there is no way".  That evening we had a visiting Pastor, during prayer he said, (you guessed it), "Lord, make a way where there is no way".  I thought okay Lord I hear you, You can make a way where I can't possibly see one!  Even in my depression when I am battling to get out of it, You can lift it because I'm letting circumstances dictate my life.  Lord, in my mind, in my heart, make a way where there is no way.  I commit this lie from the devil to You.  The change was amazing.  Immediately it lifted, immediately my Spirit was rejoicing.  I have an excitement that I can't explain, I just know something good is going to happen, I can barely sit still it is so strong.  Two days later, to make sure I am paying attention, my daily message from, (you can subscribe here if you like), "What the Lord Is Saying" a prophetic/inspirational email that I receive, said this yesterday:

July 14, 2010.  So you had a bad day.  This doesn't mean you will have another one today.  Remembering what made it bad gives impetus to having the beginning of good days, beginning today.  Don't rehearse what went wrong.  Start thinking of things you will do to make it right, and do them.  When things go a little bad that is your sign to turn it around the next time.  You have seen at times before when you asked for wisdom and I poured it out when you needed it.  Do the same thing again.  This will stop the downward spin.  Don't dwell on the bad.  Fix your mind on Me and My goodness.
Romans 12:1-2 (MSG) "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. ² Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."  Bev Robinson 

Do I think He is talking to me, most definitely!  In this email both her and her husband write what the Lord is saying, this was His:

July 14, 2010.  You are sensing a rush in your spirit man.  It is as if something very important, exciting and good is about to happen.  I have sent to you ministering angels to prepare your heart for the outpouring of blessings I am bringing.  I have noticed of late that you  are down in your spirit a good bit.  You should begin paying more attention to the angels.  They minister under my authority and direction.  You know there are myriads upon myriads of them everywhere.  Welcome their ministry to you and those important to you.  Learn to speak My word in faith and be prepared for the angels to carry out My word that you have spoken.  Humble yourself and begin to work with them side by side.Psalms 103:20-21 (NLT) "Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will!" Ras Robinson

God is sooooooo awesome.  Not only does He give me direction but just to make sure I've understood He always gives me confirmation.  I love Him so much, I hope and pray that You who are reading this do also and are walking in His blessings.  My "joy" does not come from my circumstances, my "joy" comes from the Lord.  Thank you Lord for saving me and adopting me.

The song playing right now is, "When I Can't See His Hand, I Can Trust His Heart".  He will lift You up in ways the world just can't do if you commit ALL things to Him.

God bless,

His Servant

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

He Truly Knows

I love the Lord God with all my heart. He is so faithful, the One true God, merciful, loving, just and faithful. No matter what I've done in my life, no matter where I've been. He has been there for me, even when I didn't serve Him. That is faithful. That is our God, He cannot lie, He says in His word He will never leave us or forsake us.
My heart was heavy this morning, my faith is strong but like a baby I was crying out to God to help me get my mind out of my situation and leave it with Him as it's supposed to be, to give me strength to overcome and remove my trials from my heart and mind, what I'm facing right now is not even one of the hardest things I have ever faced but it's consuming me and when I think I'm making progress satan is there to throw it right back in my face. I rebuked him in the name of Jesus to start with, then I asked God to give me a word for strength to meditate on today.
Being the mighty God He is and "knowing what I have need of even before I ask", this is the word God gave me today. Not what you might think or at least not what I thought it would be lol. I was sure He would lead me to one of His assurances, Lo, I am with you always, cast your cares on me, etc etc. Well, let me tell you, that isn't how God works. He does indeed know what we have need of before we ask!!!
This was my message (thump): Acts 6:4, But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of His word.!!! Double thump!
What an awesome God! In that one sentence this is what He told me:
My beloved child I AM answering your prayers as we speak, not just one but all. I AM Your Father who loves you more than I love the sparrows which are also my creation. I AM preparing a place for you. I AM making all things work for good because you serve Me. I AM supplying your every need according to My riches in glory. I AM.
All I ask you to do is this one thing, be faithful to Me continually in your prayers and spread My word. Leave the rest up to Me.
How can you not love a God like that, He is the great I AM, our provider, our comforter, our leader, our guide. He is worthy to be praised.
I share this with you today because He isn't only speaking to me, His word, His truths are meant to be shared...(the ministry of His word).
Beloved, God is not respecter of persons, what He does for one, He will do for all. (Acts 10:34, Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
That is what He wants us to know today. He is the great I AM. At this very moment, if we just hang onto our faith in Him, no matter our circumstances or what the devil is trying to throw at us, He is working ALL things out for our good. He keeps all His promises. He is not a God of chance but of second chances. God cannot lie, every promise He has given us He must keep. If you don't know Him, I challenge you today to pick up His word, meet Him in prayer and get to know Him. He is there waiting for you, He has all the answers to your prayers just waiting for you to ask. He is our Father who loves us more than the birds in the air and the beasts of the field which He also created. He doesn't want to see us struggling today, as He says in His word, "28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light". Matthew 11:28-30"
He is the conqueror, the great I AM.
Father, God I praise You and I adore You. I thank You for Your word, for Your mercy and grace and for loving me even when I am unlovable. You are ALL things to me. I love you Lord. Forgive me today for the sins I have committed both known and unknown. Help me to forgive others so I might walk in Your full blessings. Today Father for those who are struggling with mountains, I ask You in the name of Jesus to move those mountains for them, so they can focus on You and not their problems. I ask You to heal their bodies, deliver them from those addictions, heal their minds and their spirits, lift those financial burdens, those marital struggles, whatever their mountain is God. Heal their broken hearts and broken spirits, take away their doubts and help them to have a more meaningful relationship with You Father. Show them today that You are working in their lives just the same as You are working in mine. And if there is someone right now reading this that doesn't know You, Father God, draw them to You, speak to them right now Lord, in the name of Jesus that they might come to You, ask forgiveness and accept Jesus Christ as Your Son and Lord and Master. Bring them into Your fold, make them a part of Your inheritance. Help all who read this today to turn their mountains, their cares over to You and show them in a mighty way that You are God. They no longer have to fight their battles alone for Your word says clearly "the battle is Yours". Your mercy and grace are free to all who ask. I ask for them and for myself, Father, in Jesus mighty and powerful name, giving You all praise, honor and glory. Amen

May God richly bless you all,
His servant - tawana b
Pray for peace in Jerusalem
"I am wonderfully made, beautifully designed, magnificently engineered, created by God, strong and powerful! I am built Lord tough!"

Praying the Lord's Prayer

I have always been a prayer, one of my requests to God has always been "make me a prayer warrior". I love praying but don't always feel I "say" or "pray" with the best choice of words. Now having said that, I also know, God doesn't care the way you say things, He just wants you to come. This was just a desire I have. I picked up a book Lord Teach Me To Pray in 28 Days by Kay Arthur. Now when I got this book I kept telling myself, (and so did others), I was crazy that a book, (other than the Bible),can't teach you to pray and that is true, however, I will say it's a good study book and it did teach me some things I hadn't thought of. Did it teach me to pray? No, it did however help me to enhance my prayers, it broadened my horizons so to speak. Now having said all that, I would like to share my condensed version of some of what I learned while studying and I hope this helps you as much as it did me.
The main thing I learned is our prayers are more effective when we pray God's will. The only way to truly pray God's way is by studying His word. When you know God and know His word, you know what things you should pray for. Jesus says in John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
We know from studying God's word that sickness does not come from God, therefore, if we pray for healing, we are praying God's word.
Jesus gave us an outline for prayer in Matthew 6:6-13. We are not to pray this prayer repititously, it is an outline. He said, "pray in this manner". Now, let's break it down:
Our Father which art in Heaven - Acknowledge He is God, the Father, the One and Only true God.
Hallowed be Thy name - All praise, honor and glory go to God. Hallowing His name and giving Him reverence at the beginning of our prayer brings us immediately into His presence.
Thy Kingdom Come - this is not only His literal/physical kingdom, but we are also inviting Him to establish His Kingdom in our heart. This is where the very beginning of God's Kingdom is. We are also to pray that His literal Kingdom come.
Thy will be done - (this is sometimes the hard part). NOT our will but God's will. If we pray His will be done over our own, we can be assured that what He has for us is so much more and so much better than we could hope for-even if His will doesn't line up with something we are wanting. Remember He knows what you need even before you do. (Matthew 6:8)
in earth as it is in Heaven - whatever the Lord God establishes on earth is also established in Heaven with Him
give us this day our daily bread - many think this is asking for food and it is - spiritual food. John 6:33-34 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. Again God knows what we have need of, He has already promised us in His word that He would provide our needs, we need not worry about physical bread we do need spiritual feeding every day.
and forgive us our debts - Literally asking god to forgive our sins daily. We were born in sin, therefore, we must ask forgiveness daily for those things we know we did as well as anything we might have done that isn't known to us immediately.
as we forgive our debtors - It is every bit as important for us to forgive those who have wronged us as it is for God to forgive us. Holding back forgiveness puts us in a position of trying to play God! Holding back forgiveness allows bitterness to settle in our hearts. It hurts us. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 6:37-38 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: and Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. This must be very important for Jesus to mention it so often and what does He finally say about forgiving others, remember what He told Peter in Matthew 6:21-22 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. Wow, I would say it is important.
Lead us not into temptation - This one is a bit tricky, God hates sin, He will NOT lead you into temptation but let's think of it this way: If the Lord abides in us, where we go, He goes. He goes before us in ALL things. He is not leading us there, and will not lead us there, but we may attempt to take Him with us! He gives us free will and God gives us clear instruction in His word. James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
but deliver us from evil - God gives us a way out and protection before the problem ever arises. Praying in this manner helps us to make the right choice, God will deliver us, IF we ask. . God's word makes provision for this also. He gives us the whole armor listed in Ephesians 6:11-17 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Prayer my friends, that is our armor and faith in an unchanging God.
for thine art the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever - Ending our prayers the same way we began - praising and worshipping God. Acknowledging again that it is through His Kingdom, His power and His glory that we are His children. Through Him ALL things are possible.
Amen - true
Because Jesus said to pray in this manner, does that mean that is all we can pray? Of course not, the gospels, actually the entire Bible is full of prayers and Jesus words on what to pray for and how to pray.
Our prayers are our communication with God, they are a reflection of our personal relationship with Him, remember what He said in John 15:7 and again in 1 John 5:13-14 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 14And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
A word of caution - something my mom always taught me - be careful what you ask for, you just might get it. Pray for God's perfect will, not His permissible will. The difference is "God". In His perfect will, all the pieces fit together, in His permissible will it will be struggle, hardship, possibly heartbreak because He has lifted His hand and let you have what you want, even if it's not the best for you. Therefore you will suffer any consequences that occur. Ask Him His will on everything FIRST. Seek your answers in His word, ask Him to show you. Does it line up with His will? He will never let you down. His word says to cast ALL your cares upon Him. Nothing is to big or small for God, He wants you to come to Him.

Facing the storms and finishing the book.

Mark 4:37-40 37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Jesus has been with His people for 20 centuries and yet, we, like the disciples, underestimate His power to handle our storms. The disciples did not yet know Jesus but we do NOT have that excuse. We need to be prepared for the storms, prayed up and ready. God did not promise us no storms, only that He would keep us through the storms. When a storm rages around us we can pray, trust and move ahead. Lean into the wind and trust God, not running from the storms.

With faith, nothing is impossible. Our own outlook to everyday problems is a testimony of our faith. How do we react when the car won't start or things don't go as we have planned? Do we praise God through the storms or curse the storms? As children of God, we need to realize that the enemy is constantly seeking ways to destroy our faith. He does just what is necessary to compromise our walk with God. Does it take a little or does it take a lot? A small rain shower or a full blown thunderstorm? You know the closer you are walking with God, the bigger and stronger the storms will be, that is just the enemies way. The harder he fights you, the bigger the storm, rejoice in the knowledge that you are doing something right in the Lord or satan would not have a reason to fight you. Let me turn that around and repeat that, if he's NOT fighting you, something is wrong in your walk! Sound harsh? If you think about it, it's true. When you look around and see unbelievers enjoying wealth and happiness, what will they have when the storms hit? They can turn to the same God we do, but many won't. When it seems nothing is going your way, that the enemy is attacking from every side, health, happiness, finances, work, any area, rejoice because you are a thorn in satan's side. He knows he is defeated and you are living, breathing proof thrown in his face by your very faith. Remember that God has our lives all planned out.

I think of my life as a book, every chapter carefully illustrated by God. I picture sometimes that He has a big eraser that He uses when I've scribbled in new lines and changed what He has written for me. He, (God), has to erase what I've done (forgive me my sins, transgressions) and rewrite the story encompassing what I've done of my own free will. I'm here only by the Grace of God. He has sustained me and even at my age I know God can still use me and He does. My storms can and have been turned into testimonies for Him. At my lowest points, when I thought I was down to nothing, God was up to something. He teaches me daily how to lean on Him, pray and have faith. I seek Him out in the mornings, I'm excited for what the next pages and chapters hold that God has in store for me in my book of life. I've read the end of the book and it goes like this -- ...and she lived happily ever after with her King in the Kingdom He prepared for her, where there is no sorrow, no death, no tears and no more storms. (Thank you Jesus)

Heavenly Father, I pray the peace of God for all who are reading this blog. I ask that you bless them in whatever way they most need You today and that You work in and through them, Lord Jesus. I pray for their health, their spiritual well-being, their mental health, their finances, that You will bless them in ALL things. Most of all, I pray they put on Your full armor and stand strong against the storms the enemy brings against them, having faith in You that You will sustain them and keep them safe. For those who might not know You or may be struggling with their faith Father, I ask that You bless them in a special way, that You touch them in a way that they will have no doubt they have been in the presence of the Lord. Father I ask You in Jesus name to heal those who are sick today in a way that leaves no doubt it was a touch of Your hand. Those that have special prayers, special needs, storms they can't face, that You would especially answer their prayers and give them the help, the answers, the word, the shelter that they seek today. All these things I ask in Jesus name and believing Your word that anything we ask in Your son's name, you will do. I thank you and praise you and give you all the glory. I love you Lord. Amen

In His will,

God bless you

tawanab

Be Anxious for Nothing

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. 5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus..- Phillipians 4:4-7

Rejoice! God has no limits, He cannot be overcome, He cannot be defeated and through Him, neither can we. He tells us in His word to be careful for nothing, be anxious for nothing. He can and will supply our every need. What awesome power He has and He is just waiting for us to call on Him to show what He can do.

Over the past year and a half I've seen just a portion of what God can do. I've learned to lean on Him and that He truly can and will provide my every need. Sometimes it takes being down to nothing to stand back, be still and let the Lord work. Sometimes our own stubbornness, our own need to "fix" things gets in the way of God fixing them. The awesome thing is He allows us to make our own decisions, our own mistakes and then He is right there when we come crying because we have messed everything up to the point we can no longer even try to fix it. In a single instant He can set everything right again. What love! What patience!

He gives us everything we need and most of what we want, sometimes even when it's not good for us. Like any parent, He listens and listens when we ask for things and even though it might not be in our best interest He will relent and let us have what we ask for because just like children we keep asking and asking. We can ask God for His perfect will in our lives or we can ask for His permissable will. The ideal would be to have His perfect will.

You can hold God to His word. He says He will never leave us or forsake us, He won't. He says He will provide our every need, He will. He says we matter to Him more than the sparrows and the lilies of the field, we do. Cast your cares on Him for He cares for you. Don't wait (like I did) until you are down to nothing, try Him now. Ask Him for His perfect will in your life. Ask Him to help you "cast your cares on Him" and leave them there.

Worrying will not add a day to your life, it will not solve the problems you have going on, just the opposite in fact, it can shorten your days. God does not intend for us to worry, have fear, have doubts. Getting to the point where you can let go and let God isn't easy, I know that. Been there, done that, but it can be done, you can do it. Get into His word, seek your answers there, spend daily time with God. In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God, He will give you peace, He will provide all your needs and His shoulders are wide enough to carry your heaviest burden.

God bless and keep you.

If you have prayer requests please leave them in the comments. I would love to pray for you.

Pray for the peace of Israel.

Christmas - Fact or Fiction

The more I study the more I understand why Jesus said it would be easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle. (Matthew 19:24). The enemy is so good at what he does that we commit sin after sin without even realizing at the time we are doing it. The biggest way he gets to us and causes us to break our relationship with God is through "little white lies". The Bible says to keep "all" God's commandments. Even Jesus himself said He did not come to do away with the law but to fulfill it. Meaning He did not do away with any of God's previous laws and especially the 10 commandments (laws). One of the ten commandments that just about anyone can quote you is "thou shalt not lie". So why then as christians is it so easy for us to do and to excuse ourselves for by saying we are doing it for the good of others? A little white lie to keep from hurting someones feelings, a little white lie to cover up another little white lie. The biggest lie of all - "yes Virginia, there IS a santa claus"!! If we thought more of God and less of ourselves we would realize earlier that we are breaking God's commandments all in the name of keeping "Jesus birthday".
I see things from friends all over the internet asking me to join causes and posting signs, "keep Christ in Christmas". News flash: Christ NEVER was in Christmas!! Christmas was started way way before the birth of Christ. Not only that, it began as a pagan holiday to celebrate the birth of the "sun" god (little g). Like many secular holidays, the church incorporated it into christian beliefs "to give christians a way to celebrate without sinning"!!! Plus one for the enemy, the church, christians, bought it. Not only that, they took it one step further and incorporated a lie, thereby breaking the commandments. Teaching your children to believe in santa claus. What happens when they are older and you have to tell them there really is no santa and you've lied to them their entire young life. At the same time, their entire young life you've led them to believe that they can trust you, that you would never lie to them or do anything to hurt them. Any of you reading this that remembers telling your children the truth, what was their reaction. To say that most of them are hurt is an understatement. Many of them refuse to accept the truth for a long time after they are told, and many are angry at their parents.
I have been intensely studying the Bible, searching for God's truths and when you open your Bible and ask God to open up His word in your heart and open your eyes of understanding, He will give you what you ask for. I have been just as guilty in the past of celebrating this holiday, I've believed like many that Christmas was a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. I love the Lord with all my heart, mind, soul and body and I loved Christmas because it was celebrating Him, I thought. Once I actually started studying I've learned that not only Christmas but also Easter are pagan holidays. Please don't take my word for it, study it out for yourself, but, be willing to accept the truth when God reveals it to you. Be ready to change your way of thinking. Remember if you break one commandment, you've broken them all, there is no big sin, little sin. Remember that keeping God's commandments and laws is crucial to your salvation but mostly remember that YOU are responsible for your children's salvation. You are responsible for them learning the truth. We say we teach our children Christmas because we love them, because we want them to love Jesus and honor His birth. Nowhere in the Bible does God tell us to celebrate Jesus birthday, only that He was born. What we need to remember is that He was born and died for our salvation. If the day mattered, God would have put it in the Bible. He has given us Holy Days in the Bible to celebrate and those we should keep. If we have a prayer of making it into the Kingdom of God we've got to wake up, we have got to quit incorporating the world into our lives, into our children's lives. God has something to say about this in the Bible - Matthew 15:9, But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
And in Matthew 15:8, Jesus said: This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
In all "truth and honesty" how much glory does Christ get on the very day the world celebrates as His birthday? How many of us would go to a birthday party for someone we care about and take gifts not to that person but to everyone else attending the party!!!! That's exactly what we do on Christmas. We give gifts to everyone else that is there and how many of us actually even take time to honor Christ? As I said earlier, I was just as guilty. This has been one of the hardest truths for me to wrap my mortal mind around because Christmas was my favorite holiday BEFORE I learned the truth. Why do we need a special day to buy gifts or show our family that we love them? We are free to do that at anytime. We should be more concerned with our salvation, our children's salvation and the signs that we truly are living in the last days. It isn't easy sometimes to learn and accept the truth but if we have a hope of making it into the Kingdom of God, we must do this.
Christmas is NOT a command of God, it is a tradition of men. Mark 7:6-9,

6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
God gave us free will but His original plan was that all might be saved. It's up to us what we do with the truth. We can't just pick and choose what part of God's word we want to believe or live. He gave us the Bible for instruction, nothing can be added to it or taken away from it. You either follow God or man, your choice.
Now that you have learned the truth, you can't unlearn it. I pray that you take it, pray over it and ask God to help you do the right thing in your life, your children's lives, grandchildren's lives, whoever you might speak to.
God bless

Four Boyfriends

I'm cheating :) My daughter sent me this email and although I don't know it's original author (or I would credit them), I thought it was worth passing on. If you read this and know who the original author is please take a moment to leave me a comment so I can give them credit. This is very thought provoking.

THIS TURNED OUT TO BE SO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE.. IT IS A WONDERFUL WONDERFUL MESSAGE!!
ENJOY

Once upon a time there was a girl who had four boyfriends.

She loved the fourth boyfriend the most and adorned him with rich robes and treated him to the finest of delicacies. She gave him nothing but the best.

She also loved the third boyfriend very much and was always showing him off to neighboring kingdoms. However, she feared that one day he would leave her for another.

She also loved her second boyfriend. He was her confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with her. Whenever this girl faced a problem, she could confide in him, and he would help her get through the difficult times.

The girl' s first boyfriend was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining her wealth and kingdom. However, she did not love the first boyfriend Although he loved her deeply, she hardly took notice of him!

One day, the girl fell ill and she knew her time was short. She thought of her luxurious life and wondered, 'I now have four boyfriends with me, but when I die, will I be a alone.'

Thus, she asked the fourth boyfriend, 'I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?
'No way!', replied the fourth boyfriend, and he walked away without another word.

His answer cut like a sharp knife right into her heart.

The sad girl then asked the third boyfriend, 'I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?' 'No!', replied the third boyfriend. 'Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to marry someone else!' Her heart sank and turned cold

She then asked the second boyfriend, 'I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!', replied the second boyfriend. 'At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.'
His answer struck her like a bolt of lightning, and the girl was devastated.


Then a voice called out: 'I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go.' The girl looked up, and there was her first boyfriend. He was very skinny as he suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the girl said, 'I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!'

In truth, you have four boyfriends in your lives:

Your fourth boyfriend is your body. ! No matter how much time and effort you lavish in making it look good, it will leave you when you die.

Your third boyfriend is your possessions, status and wealth.When you die, it will all go to others.

Your second boyfriend is your family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for you, the furthest they can stay by you is up to the grave.


And your first boyfriend is your soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.

However, your soul is the only thing that will follow you where ever you go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of you that will follow you to the throne of God and continue with you throughout Eternity. In essence, it's the REAL you......

Thought for the day: Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray.
Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections.
God bless, hope everyone has a safe holiday week-end.
Tawanab