Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week and I couldn’t wait to meet with the Author and Perfector of my Faith at sunrise. I’ve had some hectic days recently and I haven’t had the Time with the Living God that my soul hungers for but that all changed this morning. The view I had a sunrise “made up for” the few I’ve missed lately and God poured out his Glory over this old as it brought it to life. The greens are the greenest and the blue is the bluest, and no artist in the world could come close to capturing what my eyes saw this morning. My Time with the Master was a little different than it usually is, and I was pouring out my Requests like a river. I spelled out my dreams to Him again and I got specific about my goals. He already knows all those things because He knows every thought I have, but I think He likes it when we don’t give up and He sees that we never stop Believing in the Journey. When I looked at this photo of the sun breaking through the fog, it reminded me of how it is with me and my God – a beam bright enough to break through any fog by a God who misses me at least as much as I miss Him when our time is short – and who cares about every single part of me. Isn’t that the way you see your Relationship with God too?

Sometimes people wonder why I’m still Dreaming at my ripe old age as if dreams have anything to do with calendar years. The Bible says, “Without a vision, the people perish” so from where I sit, my dreams are as important to me as air. It’s sad to see that some people quit dreaming years ago and they don’t realize it but they’re already dead… they just haven’t jumped into the coffin yet. For others, it can be so easy to give up on their dreams just because they haven’t become a reality yet…but we lose out on the chance to lean into God when we do. God-sized dreams are put into Motion by the Touch of the Master’s Hand…a Hand that is Timeless and One that will never be rushed. When God plants the Seed of a Dream, He’s got His own Agenda and His own Timing and the fact that we haven’t seen it all come into Play yet doesn’t mean the Details aren’t being Worked out in Heaven. But the waiting often leads to impatience if we aren’t careful when we don’t See what we’ve been Dreaming of within our desired timeframe. Instead of leaning into Him even MORE as we wait, some people just give up…but not me. I Serve the Way-Maker and I am confident that if He planted a Dream within me, He’ll see it through to Completion.

God says “I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.” His Word says ” For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways – As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways.” He’s the “same yesterday, today, and forever more” and His Promises are ALWAYS True. He says “I know the plans I have for you” and THAT alone should be enough to keep even the biggest “skeptic” waiting on the Touch of the Master’s Hand. God never rests, He never changes His mind, and He never quits on you and me….so how can it be so easy for so many to quit on Him just because He hasn’t revealed the entire Picture in OUR desired timeframe yet?

No matter what I want for myself I know that God knows what’s best for me and I Trust Him because I BELIEVE what He says. He planted a few God-sized Dreams within me years ago and they haven’t become a “reality” YET…but they will in HIS time. I NEVER stop Believing. I never stop Trusting. I never doubt Him. I don’t rush Him. I don’t quit, and I don’t give up on what He has for me. You won’t find me like a wave of the sea going back and forth in my Belief…I serve a Mighty God who NEVER breaks a Promise and ALL things are possible with Him!

Amen?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I met with the Master as He woke up the world this morning and I lingered well past the sunrise because it was too sweet to rush. The beauty of this new day was almost too much for me to take in and it made me think about what Heaven will be like. It was as if everything I heard had a voice…from the birds singing to the leaves rustling in the trees, to the sounds the flags made as they blew in the breeze. It was like a God-given orchestra in Surround Sound, and it was a sweet reminder to me that everyone has a voice that needs to be used for Good. Each voice can be a part of the God-given orchestra, and we can all be heard in this dark world in Surround-Sound if only we’re willing to speak the Right Words with the Right Purpose.

We live in a noisy world filled with debaters (in and out of the Church) and it’s not likely they’ll hear in Surround Sound because of it. News programs pay top dollar to nice-looking commentators hired specifically to debate and talk over someone else with a different opinion of “facts. The Internet spreads lies and hate faster than you can say “amen” and churches are dividing every day as they debate their own “versions” of Truth. The Truth doesn’t have versions, but apparently, their Knowledge of the Truth is too weak to understand that. Some Christians have convinced themselves that it’s their “job” to debate the dark world (and each other) even though the Bible they claim to know so well warns against that kind of foolishness. When it comes to God’s people, there is only One song that needs to be sung…only One song that will make a Difference…only One song we’re commanded to sing…only One song that has Power of its own…only One song that leads to Good…and only One song that has the potential to reach the world in Surround Sound – and that’s the song of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

They say that the average female speaks 20,000 words a day and the average male 13,000. I can’t help but wonder, of all of those words spoken each day by each gender; how many of those words were GOOD words…ENCOURAGING words…UPLIFTING words…LOVING words and how many of them were Words used for the PURPOSE of Good? If we rattle off thousands of words each day and most of those words are NOT positive and uplifting words used for Good Purpose, how in the world can we expect our own world to be filled with Good either? It’s impossible to fill ourselves with negative things and expect Beautiful things back in return. The power of Life and death is in the tongue and our words are indicators of the Condition of the Heart and the mind. If we want LOTS of those 20,000 words we speak to be Good ones with Good Purpose, then it all begins on the inside. Garbage in…garbage out.

People around me often hear me say that “speaking about my Faith is as natural to me as breathing” and it wouldn’t be possible for me to stifle my voice to snuff Him out of my conversations at all! I am His Child and He is my God and He is a part of all that I am and all that I do. But even though I speak out (and often) I can’t help but feel shame when I consider how many of those 20,000 words were actually glorifying Him. How many times was my voice heard yesterday and how many of those 20,000 words included a mention of a Mighty God…my HOPE and my REDEEMER? It boggles my mind when I hear someone of Faith say something like “Wow…I just found out he/she is a Christian!” after having spent time with them in the past. I think it’s pretty obvious that if either one of them were using some of their 20,000 words a day to mention the Living God, they would have come to that realization long before they did. If we fail to use our voice to speak up about our amazing God, how can others hear about Him and how can we consider ourselves to be a Good Witness of our Faith if we’re silent?

I’ll speak my words today with Purpose and I’ll be sure not to squander an Opportunity to be a LOVING Light for Him by using a bigger portion of my 20,000 words. My Voice won’t be silenced today because my desire to Honor Him is much bigger than my desire to be part of the noise. The mention of my amazing God will flow through my conversations as naturally as blood flows through my veins.

How about you?

“You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead”

“You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up”

“You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates”

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week and it’s always time for a New Beginning when it comes to the Living God. I spent my time on the front porch and watched as everything around this old farm began Celebrating the new day…especially me. I don’t know what He has in mind for me today but I’ll be doing His Will no matter what, and if He tells me to do something that doesn’t make sense to another living soul I’ll do it anyway…because I Love Him. I can’t begin to comprehend how He paints the beauty of a sunrise, and I don’t always understand His Ways in my Life…but it isn’t up to me to understand…it’s up to me to Trust and Obey. Isn’t that the way you look at Life too?

It is fascinating to watch people exhaust themselves trying to understand God and His Ways even though God says, ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”. It doesn’t come down to whether or not God’s Plan makes sense – it comes down to whether or not we’ll Trust and Obey even when it doesn’t. God gave us intellect above all living creatures and sometimes that intellect gets in the way of surrendering to Trust and Obey. We analyze, evaluate, moderate, and rationalize when He prompts us to go in a Direction that makes no sense to the human mind as if we need to help the Living God make sense of His Plans. But stretching the intellect has no place in Trust and Obey because it always comes down to Faith. Humans can diffuse a Miracle faster than they can say “amen” all because they went looking for logic in His Will. His Plans won’t be changed just because we need to “prove” to ourselves that God wants them completed – He’ll just find another Vessel that knows how to Trust and Obey – and THAT Vessel will have the Honor of being part of a God-size Plan that makes little sense to the intellectual mind.

Countless people have gone before me as Examples of what it looks like to Trust and Obey when it doesn’t make sense to the human mind, and I choose to follow their Lead. Joshua was told to march around the walls of Jericho seven times to crumble the walls around the city of his enemy, and that warrior did what He was told because of Trust and Obey. Noah was told to build an ark to prepare for a flood when he’d never seen a drop of rain, and that old man did what he was told because of Trust and Obey. Peter was told to go fishing and to pull a gold coin out of the mouth of the first fish he caught so that it could be used to pay their taxes. Peter did what he was told to do because of Trust and Obey. A penniless widow was told to gather up jars, fill them with oil that flowed out of “nowhere”, and then sell the oil to sustain her family financially, and she did what she was told to do because of Trust and Obey. I like being a Vessel that can be used by the Living God and it all comes down to Trust and Obey…ESPECIALLY when it doesn’t “make sense” to the human mind.

I’m kicking off a new day of a new week in the Journey called Life with a willingness to Trust and Obey whatever He tells me to do. I won’t waste any of my God-given intellect trying to figure out if His Plans make sense to me. Instead, I’ll go where He tells me to go and I’ll do what He tells me to do whenever He tells me to do it! I LOVE Him and I choose to Trust and Obey all the days of my life because of it. Now THAT makes perfect sense!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The day is just beginning but my time with the Master this morning has been so full and so rich that it’s hard to imagine the good that is yet to come from the rest of this new day. It excites me to have another day – another chance to glorify my God! The sky over the farm is marked with the stripes of the military planes guarding the land and I’ve already prayed for these warriors this morning. Although I’m not flying high in the sky with U.S. troops today, I’m a Warrior in the Lord’s Army. I’m armored up and a force to be reckoned with in the spiritual realms. Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?

I have everything I need to be a Warrior and my enemy knows it. I know that just by mentioning the name of my Commander in Chief, the enemy shakes in his boots so I’m never afraid of him. When I put my Weapons to good use, the darts fired by my enemy will bounce off my Armor like toys. I know the nature of my enemy, and I know that he prowls around just looking for someone or something to devour, but he doesn’t stand a chance with me or my family as long as I’m doing battle. There is “no weapon formed against me will prosper” or find its way to victory as long as I’m Armed and Ready 24/7. This enemy is pathetic and although he does his best to scare and torment the weaker ones, I’m strong enough for an entire army and equipped to overcome him. It doesn’t really matter what kind of weaponry he uses, I’ve got the most powerful Commander in Chief the Universe has ever known and His stripes are the only stripes that matter. Together we can send the enemy back to where he belongs like a scared little girl. I NEVER have anything to fear because I’m always equipped to do battle and I trust the Commander in Chief to always have my back. This is the Key to Strength.

Like a good warrior, I can’t afford to let my guard down and I can NEVER stop Preparing for battle even during times of peace. With an enemy known to “prowl around looking to devour” I know that he likes surprise attacks so I won’t necessarily see signs of him coming in advance. It’s when my confidence in my own ability is too high and my guard too low that I am the most vulnerable to the enemy. So I stay Focused on my Commander in Chief and I’ll follow His Instructions to a tee. I’m part of the most Powerful Army the world has ever known and I have nothing to fear as long as I’m doing my part to Win. I’m strong, I’m courageous, I’m prepared and I’ll always be Victorious. I’m a Warrior in the most Powerful Army of all and there is no war I can’t win. This is the Key to facing the future fearlessly.

I’m a warrior facing this day with Courage and Boldness. I’m Armed and Ready for battle no matter what it looks like today. I know that “Greater is He who is in ME, than he who is in the world” and if I just Remember that, I’ll never see him as a threat again. I am a force to be reckoned with and Confident that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. As I attempted to settle in to meet with the Creator of the Universe this morning, I kept going back and forth between the front porch and my desk and my spirit was unsettled. I read my devotional and I read the assigned chapters on my read through the Bible schedule, but I had to keep forcing myself to remain focused because my mind was going back and forth too. I didn’t realize that my unsettled and unfocused state this morning was a Master Plan of the One I Serve who eventually led me to where He wanted me today…to the Scripture intended for my soul AND to the Spiritual Woodshed to set me Straight. Today I read the same Words I’ve read countless times before, but today, I cried and I hung my head in shame when I read them. How blessed I am that the Living God would love me enough to illuminate a Personalized Message just for me today…a Message to Set me Straight and to help me Grow. Isn’t that the way He Grows you too?

One of the things about the Journey of Faith that is so incredible to me is that we can be coasting along feeling as if all is well with our Soul and then BOOM – He takes us to the Woodshed and we realize we weren’t as “focused” as we thought we were after all. One minute we can feel joyful and be filled with gratitude, and the next minute we can feel shame over our thoughts or behaviors in need of a Spiritual Adjustment. We are ALL inclined to be “double-minded” if we aren’t careful and sometimes God will “show up” like He did for me this morning to set us Straight by way of Conviction. I am still a diamond in the rough, and I still have a long way to go, but the one area that I struggle with the most is double-mindedness when it comes to how I Love. The Bible says “They will know you are mine by the way you love one another” because Love is the Truest Definition of Jesus and the way we spread it is our Witness to the world. If I can’t love 100% of the time – no matter the circumstances – who am I to expect Love from Him if I refuse to Love another? Conviction over such things is the KEY to humility and growth.

The Bible says, “With the tongue, we bless our Lord and Father, and with it, we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing”. If that’s not a perfect picture of double-mindedness I don’t know what is! The “cursing” here is not defined by a bunch of four-letter words…the “cursing” here is every word, thought, or action that goes against the nature of Christ. Ouch. It’s just a process of breaking bad habits to remove curse words from our vocabulary, BUT it’s an entirely different story to not speak, think, or act upon our “feelings” when we’re convinced that we’ve been wronged…and that’s the hard part. It’s not about what “they” deserve. It’s not even about what we think we deserve. It’s about what He deserves! Remembering that He made each one in His “likeness” should

make us choke each time we curse out the same mouth we Bless Him with. Striving for such things is what it takes to please the God who says, “Be holy as I am holy”.

I’m a little bruised after my time in the Spiritual Woodshed but I’m glad He loves me enough to take me there sometimes. I want to please Him MORE than I want to be right about something, and I want to strive to “Be holy” as He is holy. Perseverance and Humility are the backbone of the Journey of Faith. I’m Teachable…I’m Humble…I’m Committed…I’m Unstoppable…and sometimes I’m guilty of being double-minded by blessing and cursing with the same tongue. But I serve the God of forgiveness who Knows my Heart and He sees that I want to please Him more than I want to be right. As long as I remain Humble, I know that I can learn and grow all the days of my Life. That’s the Goal.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The temperature dropped 30 degrees overnight so my time with the Living God was spent inside today – AFTER I stepped outside to see how nature was celebrating this clear and crisp new day. I could hear the sound of music coming from all different kinds of birds, and I watched as the squirrels scurried around for their breakfast. I’ve never seen squirrels fight per se, but I have watched them relentlessly pursue each other when one squirrel discovers a buried walnut and the other squirrel wants it for itself. As I sat there taking all the Beauty in, my heart began to overflow with Gratitude as I thought about how beautiful Heaven will be. Even though what I imagine brings me to tears, my imagination can’t hold a candle to what’s in store for me. God says “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him” and THAT’S what makes me want everybody to have what I have and to Know what I Know. I have something Good and, unlike the scurrying squirrels, I hunger to Share it with the world. Isn’t that what you want to do with your Saving Faith too?

I’m not sure why some people have a Passion to Share Good things with the rest of the world while some want to hoard the Good for themselves just like the squirrels do. It’s a mystery to me. The same “hoarders” who don’t hesitate to show off a new house, or a new car, or to brag about an exotic vacation, don’t ever consider showing off the Greatest Gift of all. The Treasures of Heaven will make the treasures on earth look like Romper Room one day – but still, SO MANY of the “ones who love Him” never utter a word to the lost about the Greatest Gift of all. It’s sad that “the ones who love Him” are so busy storing up their own treasures on earth just like the squirrels do that they’re blinded to the lost ones who are destined to lose out on “what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him.” Could it be that arrogance leads them to believe that the lost ones need to “sink or swim” all on their own? If so, they’re no different than a common squirrel.

Perhaps it takes an added measure of Gratitude for the Promise of Heaven one day, or maybe it takes Genuine Excitement for what is in store “for those who love Him”…or maybe it takes understanding what Hell will be like for the lost. I can do my best to describe Heaven from just a few things I know based on the Description in His Word- and my Passion is usually enough to make a lost person at least a little curious about what I have. But if there is anything I wish I could SHOW a lost person, it would be a video tour of Hell. For as much as we can’t begin to imagine Heaven, we can’t begin to imagine Hell either. Hell is a place of torment and “gnashing of teeth” like none of us can imagine – and the torment will go on for eternity. There isn’t a “bad” person that I’d ever wish Hell upon and there isn’t a “bad” person that I want to leave behind if I can help it. That’s what the Compassion of Christ looks like and it’s what separates man from a common squirrel.

It was heavenly at sunrise and I basked in the beauty all around this old farm, but more than anything I did my best to imagine what Heaven will be like one day…and what I imagined made me shed tears of Joy. I don’t deserve the Greatest Gift…none of us do… there wasn’t anything I did to earn it. You won’t find me hoarding up the Greatest gift of all like a common. Instead, you’ll find me singing His Praises like the birds of the air for all the world to hear. The Greatest Gift is Free, it’s PRICELESS, it’s ETERNAL, and I want EVERY lost person to know what I know so that they can look forward to Heaven like I do – “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him.”

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s a new day of a new week and it would be impossible NOT to rejoice and be glad in it from where I sit. The foliage changes significantly overnight this time of year and nothing blooms or buds at the same pace – not even like kinds. How deep (and healthy) the root system is, how rich the soil is, and how much exposure to the sun each one gets is a reflection of how and when each will bud and bloom. This oak tree is on its way to magnificence, while some trees haven’t even begun to bud. As I considered the foliage in the Spring in Virginia, I thought about how it is the same with God’s people. Some are on the way to Magnificence, while others haven’t even begun to bud or bloom because the Conditions aren’t right. Isn’t it just like God to use the Spring foliage to thread a message into my Heart?

Reaching Magnificence should be the Goal of every Believer but unfortunately, very few bother to try. It’s as if they received their One Way ticket to Heaven and after that, they see no need to make any effort whatsoever to reach Magnificence. Way too many professed Christians have convinced themselves that complacency is the place to be as they rest in their Salvation without a care in the world. They have no root system, and they don’t seem to care and they Live as if their “responsibility” ended at their desire for Salvation…but that’s just the Beginning of Spring! The foliage has nothing to say about its condition, and it has no option to move from one spot to the other where budding and blooming come easier…but people do. We have Free Will to decide to reach for Magnificence so that we can be found pleasing to the King OR to sit back and do nothing in His Name. We can easily move to a place with more Suitable Conditions for someone desiring to grow in His Name. We make the choice to spend time in the “book” of Nourishment or to leave it on the shelf to gather dust. We decide to let the remote control usher us into a church instead of making it a Priority to find one that feeds the Soul and nurtures Relationships. We decide if the Journey is worth our time and whether or not the King paid a price worthy of OUR sacrifice. Ouch.

I know what the farm will look like when everything buds and blooms because I’ve seen it with my own eyes, but I can only dream about what Life would look like if all the ones professing to be Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ actually reached for Magnificence too. Reaching for Magnificence is where peace, joy, and love are found. Reaching for Magnificence is where the foundation is Strengthened and Knowledge is grown. Reaching for Magnificence is where Forgiveness is found. I’ll be Reaching for Magnificence all the days of my Life not because I’m “special” but because I LOVE HIM. As long as there is breath in my body, I’ll be doing my part to Encourage others (who profess to Know Jesus) to reach for Magnificence too. After all, He DIED for us…the least we can do is LIVE for Him!

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I had a long meeting with the Living God this morning and He spent some time Refining my Heart for the Journey. The One who Created me is Kind and Gentle but when He is doing Business on the Heart He doesn’t soften the blow. He used His Heavenly highlighter over weak spots that I haven’t conquered yet, and He reminded me of His Strength. The Bible says “It’s a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God” and that we are to “Work out (your) salvation with fear and trembling” so it is no small thing to have unsettled business with the Living God. Part of my Lesson this morning made me weep with shame, and some of the Message made me overflow with joy – but none of the Message would have been possible, nor would it have any impact on my Life whatsoever, had I refused to be willing to be Molded by my Maker again this morning. When it comes to things like Heart and Character, there’s no such thing as being “complete”…at least not on this side of Heaven. There’s always room for improvement and I’m driven to be all that I can be for Him. Isn’t that the way you look at your Lessons too?

There are lots of reasons why most people don’t continue to Grow for as long as they live, but I think the biggest reason is pride. It’s often said, “Pride comes before the fall” but that’s a condensed version of what it says in Proverbs which drives the message home a little deeper…”Pride goes before destruction, a haughty (arrogant) spirit before a fall”. Pride is what prevents us from being willing to be transparent, and pride is what keeps us from sharing our Trials and Victories aka our Witness. Pride is when we convince ourselves that we’re something we’re not and that we’re bigger and better than we really are. Pride is what makes us run from the Spirit of God when it’s Lesson Time, and pride is what stands in the way of revealing our weaknesses. Pride is what prompts us to judge someone else, and pride is what makes us lie to ourselves about who and what we really are. Pride drives greed, and pride drives lies. It’s pride that will stop us from helping the helpless, and it’s pride that leads us to lose our identity in our checkbook. A prideful heart refuses to admit when it’s wrong, and pride stands in the way of forgiveness. There’s no end to the destruction that pride brings with it, and eventually, pride will build a shell around the Heart that is so hard that we’re no longer Recognizable as God’s People…and we become useless to the King. There’s no room for pride if we want to grow, and unless we get a handle on pride, we can’t find Humility.

I’ve been slapped around by people of Faith more often than I can count when they hear me confess my weaknesses or when I share my trials or temptations. Their pride drives them to believe that a person of Faith should leave those things “in the past where they belong” and they frown upon sharing flaws and failures with the world. But I have no pride when it comes to being a Vessel for the Living God, and I know that the more I share about my own Life, the more inclined God will be to use me to help someone else. My Journey has had peaks and valleys but it wasn’t just a mountain of mess even though it felt that way sometimes. Every minute has been ordained that led me to such a time as this! Today my Life is a Powerful, Living, Breathing Testimony, and I’m not too proud to share it. Every single piece has Grown me, and every pain has made me Stronger. But most of all, I know that ” All things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to HIS purpose” and the Hand of God can be seen before, during, and after my Trials and Tribulations…and I wouldn’t change a thing. My Life has Purpose, and I’m Humbled to be used by the King. So, whenever pride tries to sneak in…and I’m inclined to take credit for things in my life that I have no business owning at all…it’s time for a Lesson on Humility straight from the Throne of the Living God. I may not like it much when it’s Lesson Time, but I’m Ready and Willing to be Molded by my Maker so that I can be ALL that He intends for me to be for as long as there is breath in my body.

How about you?

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It was a little too chilly to be sitting outside on the front porch this morning but the beauty made up for the chill. I watched the Living God illuminate my world and I gave thanks for the new life that wasn’t visible yesterday and my senses came alive faster than you can say “Amen”. It was as if I was seeing with my eyes what my Heart was feeling and the sounds of the birds were like a Heavenly choir. Anything I might be inclined to fret over today was washed away, and just by being in His Presence, and I felt warm from my head to my toes. Isn’t that what being in His Presence is like for you too?

Nothing can knock me into a Spirit of Praise and Gratitude like tuning into everything around me, and nothing could bring more Peace to my Life than His Words: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” I don’t need to be outside to feel His Majesty, and I don’t need to be entertained by nature, to set my Time with Him in motion. I meet with Him when He wants to meet, where He wants to meet, and for as long as He wants to meet. I walk with Him and talk to Him all day long, and He hears my every Word – the ones that cross my lips and all the others that are silent within my Heart. I’m not just a Prayer Warrior…I’m ready for Action too, and that’s a key component to what sets some people of Faith apart from all the others.

It can be so easy to fall into organized prayer time, and then forget to invite the Spirit of God into the process. A few memorized prayers, or adding prayer time to a calendar as if it’s an obligation, falls short of what prayer time can (and should) look like. I’m pretty sure the Living God wants to hear the words to our unique (and heartfelt) prayers and not just words written and recommended by man. You can tell a lot about a person’s Convictions just by hearing them pray. Some people pray with Authority and it’s as if they Believe the prayers they utter have already been answered even though they can’t see it yet. Some people pray with meekness, and it sounds as if they don’t actually believe that God will do what they’re asking for at all. Usually, these people wrap it up with “if it’s your will” and it sounds like they think they’ve been a burden to the Living God by making a request at all. Some people THINK they need the name, rank, and serial number as if God won’t Know who they’re praying for unless He’s given all the Information first. And some people think they need every dirty little detail so that they “know how to pray”, but God already knows every finite detail, and He doesn’t need to be filled in on the cast of characters or their actions. There’s not a right way or a wrong way to pray HOWEVER the only way we REALLY make a difference is when we pray AND BELIEVE that He Hears us and that He knows what’s best in every situation. When we learn to pray like that, it’s a Spiritual Game Changer.

I don’t presume to know the Mind of God, but I do know His Nature, and I know that if someone or something is on your Heart and you’re prompted to pray…He put it there. Every Encounter and every Circumstance has already filtered through His Hands, and He has a Master Plan for everyone and everything. But how often do we appeal to the Living God on behalf of someone else when we ALREADY have the ability to take care of the need on our own? Maybe WE need to gather around them to bring them comfort. Maybe WE need to be sure there is food on their table. Maybe WE need to pay for the car repair. Maybe WE need to be willing to watch the kids. Maybe WE need to facilitate the action of others when we aren’t otherwise in a position to help. Sadly for some people, it’s a whole lot easier to whisper a prayer or two and hope that God will do something about the circumstances so that we can avoid getting our hands dirty. God is the Way Maker and He can do anything anytime He wants to. He can absolutely meet every need and fill every Request! BUT I believe that if He places a person and their need on our Heart, He’s looking for Action…and not just prayer. This is the KEY to serving the King of all kings.

Every prayer we utter is “like incense” in Heaven…a sweet aroma to the Living God…and every Life has Purpose. It’s when we combine those two things – when we pray with Purpose and ask Him to show us how WE can help whoever (or whatever it is), that we become part of the Solution in ways we can’t begin to imagine. I’ve whispered a whole lot of prayers for people and their circumstances this morning and I prayed with Conviction and Belief. But during those prayers, I also asked the Living God to show me what my Part is. I’m ready to kick into Action anytime with every Resource I have and with all that I am whenever He comes Calling. After all, He died for me….the least I can do is Live for Him. If I’m going to Proclaim that I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, then I need to be living a Life that resembles His ministry. Jesus got His hands dirty. Jesus Believed what He prayed. Jesus Loved unconditionally.

How about you?