prayer

Pray Like You Mean It!

/ www.LivingLarger.life / 1 Comment

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I crawled out of bed, made my way down the stairs, and onto the front porch for some fresh morning air, but I met with the Living God, and I read from my Instruction Manual from the warm farmhouse. We can commune with God from anywhere on the planet…and we should. We don’t need an invitation, and we don’t need a formal setting. We don’t need a sunrise, and we don’t need a front porch. We don’t need to bow down to an ornament, and we don’t need to be told the words to pray over and over again. It’s an Honor to approach the Throne of a Mighty God, and although my Heart and my words are different each day, the process is always the same. It begins by Praising Him because He is worthy! “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come”. Next, it’s time to give Thanks to Him…because without Him, I AM NOTHING. AND FINALLY, I make my Requests known to Him. It’s a funny thing, though… by the time I Praise Him and give Thanks to Him, the Request list is shorter and the load is lighter, all because our Time began with the Focus on Him INSTEAD of me. Isn’t that the way it works when you pray, too?

My Instruction Manual is clear on the topic of prayer. For instance, Jesus said, “And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED BEFORE YOU ASK HIM. So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…” Jesus wasn’t telling us WHAT to pray, He was telling us HOW to pray, and it should always begin with PRAISE for Who He is. Our God doesn’t need, want, or ask for mindless “lather, rinse, repeat” prayers and we don’t need to use just the right words for Him to understand. In fact, the Bible tells us that “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God”. It’s far more important what’s going on in the Heart and the mind than what rolls off the lips in the name of “prayer”. This is the Key to a Rich relationship with the God who Knows all…the God who IS all.

I don’t think most people understand what it’s like to approach the Throne of the Living God with a Surrendered Heart, and they overlook the Power given to them in the process because of it. When we approach His Throne and we begin by Praising and Thanking Him, some pretty amazing things happen to the Heart. When we seek His face, His Spirit shows up, and we can feel Him through every cell. When our focus moves from our “shopping list” of requests to our Amazing God, we see that His “Grace is Sufficient” for us, no matter the circumstances. This is the Key to Fulfillment.

Some people don’t bother with all of the Praise and the Thanks “stuff” as if they think “He already knows that I love Him.” But God examines the Heart of the child who is making the Requests. Why would any father honor the requests of an ungrateful child? He is God…He is Worthy…and He wants to be sure that your Heart Knows it…HE WANTS TO HEAR IT. He wants to be GLORIFIED through your prayers, your words, and your actions! Some people “send up” prayers to the “big guy in the sky” like helium balloons, and they live like they hope He’ll somehow catch them. But His Word says that our prayers are immediate and they don’t need to be navigated or “sent up”- our prayers are “like incense in heaven” to Him…not random shots that we hope will be heard. The more time we spend with Him…the more we Live FOR Him…the stronger our Relationship WITH Him, the more we begin to Experience the indescribable Joy that comes by KNOWING we are absolutely being heard by the God who knit us together in our mother’s womb. This is the Key to Honor.

Some people rely on somebody else to intercede on their behalf, like a priest or a pastor…as if they have more influence with the Living God than we do. But that’s not true. In fact, the Bible says, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”. There is only One Intercessor, and His Name is Jesus Christ. We may have more churches/denominations than there are stars in the sky, BUT there is ONLY ONE JESUS CHRIST and One Word of God. Jesus Christ died for all of us, and each one of us has the Honor and the Privilege to meet with Him to ask that He intercede on our behalf any time we want to. Relying on man to push our prayers forward or to help us atone for our sins, AND missing out on what it means to approach the Throne for ourselves, will always be accompanied by a lukewarm Faith. The Alpha and Omega longs for a Relationship with His Children, and to build a Relationship that will last forever, it takes personal Time with Him.

My Heart has been Tenderized, and my burdens have been made lighter this morning, all because it ALL began with Him. First, I Praised Him because He is worthy! And then I Thanked Him for all that He is and all that He does for me. And THEN I tossed my Requests at the foot of the cross where Jesus will intercede on my behalf…and I’m Trusting Him. It’s not “my job” to fix people or to control my circumstances. My “job” is to lay it all at the foot of the Cross and to Trust my Savior with my Life and everything in it. I KNOW He hears me when I pray because I KNOW Him. I nurture my Relationship with Jesus Christ every day above any other relationship I have because He’s my Father and I’m His Child…He died for me, so I Live for Him.

How about you?

“Thank You For The Food We Eat”?

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. Spending the first part of my day on the front porch never gets old to me, and it has nothing to do with the “view” as some people think. I wake up excited for what the Lord has up His Heavenly Sleeve, and I can’t wait to see what Role I’ll be playing today. My Time with the Living God doesn’t end when I leave the front porch…our Time together in the morning is Intended to “set my path straight” for what lies ahead on this New Day. My prayer time doesn’t end when I leave the front porch; I’ll be praying all day as I navigate this Journey called Life to Fulfill the Purpose He has for me. My God is the “same yesterday, today, and forevermore,” – He is the ONLY thing that never changes. From where I’m sitting on this cool September morning, the deer have found their way to fallen acorns, and I’m pretty sure they’re “celebrating” the change of seasons that causes their delicious food to fall to the ground. I wonder, if deer had the intellect that mankind has, would they pause to say “thanks for the food” when they find a feast of acorns, OR would they be giving thanks all day long as they nibble their way through the farm? It’s impossible to know what a deer thinks or feels, but it’s painfully obvious how people respond to a day overflowing when blessings when we see them, ONLY pause to give thanks before they fill their belly up with food. I don’t know the mind of God either, but I’m pretty sure that when we only pause to give thanks for what food we’re about to eat, we’re probably going to fall a little short of hearing “Well done, good and faithful servant”. Isn’t that the way you see the Journey of Faith, too?

It can be so easy for people to fool themselves about the Condition of the Heart when they’re content with ONLY pausing to pray over their food, and they think God is content with it too. They may not see how lame it is to give thanks for that single thing that brings pleasure to us in this Journey of Life, or how far they fall short in the Gratitude Category, BUT falling short is easily detectable by the Author and Perfector of Faith, and they’re not fooling anybody but themselves. It’s hard to believe that these professed Christians could think that the God of all Creation – the one who Provides every single thing – the One Who gave us Life – the One Who died for us could possibly be satisfied with ONLY being thanked for the food He Provides…just before it is devoured. “Well done” isn’t just how you describe how you want your steak cooked – it’s what people like me long to hear One Day IF (and only IF) the King is satisfied with the Condition of my Heart – a Heart that would need all of eternity just to thank Him for all the Blessings I’ve known. A quick prayer before we eat makes so many people feel satisfied with their Walk with Christ, but God isn’t satisfied, that’s for sure. Our God is a consuming fire, and when we Live for Him, it shows far and above and beyond a simple prayer over a morsel of food. Our God is a jealous God, and when we Live for Him, we’re sure to give ONLY Him Credit (Thanks) for everything, and we take no credit of our own for where we are or what we have. We take nothing for granted because we Understand everything is a gift. It’s when we accept that “there is no good thing apart from Him” that we become overwhelmed with Gratitude, and before you know it, we can’t shut up about His Goodness 24/7, and we can’t possibly thank Him enough for all that He is and all that He does for us…beyond the morsels.

They say that “a family that prays together stays together,” and while that’s true, it goes well beyond praying over a Big Mac before it’s consumed. The family that prays together knows that its Hope and their Future belong to Jesus Christ. A family that prays together takes all of its burdens to the Cross and the family Trusts Him with the Outcome. A family that prays together is Teaching the next generation about what Faith looks like when they pause to give thanks or to ask for help for no other reason than that they Know Him and they Trust Him, and it shows. A family that prays together doesn’t care much about geography or privacy, and that family will break out in prayer whenever they feel like approaching the Throne of God, no matter where they are or who’s watching. The family that prays together KNOWS that “all things are possible with God” and whatever “it” is, they Trust the Outcome to the God of all Creation. The family that prays together loves each other in ways that cannot be described by man. The family that prays together Understands that the Lord gives and takes away, so when life changes course, they have no fear because they Know that God has a Plan much bigger and better than their own. A family that prays together doesn’t find its strength inside a two-second prayer over a meal – they find their Strength through their Relationship with the King of all kings by way of a Spirit of Gratitude that cannot be defined by a fork or a knife.

I Know I’m stepping on toes, but for the sake of all that is Good, it’s important that you know that “Thank you for the food we eat” and “Now I lay me down to sleep” aren’t enough to satisfy the King, and they’ll never be enough to see you through the Journey. He gave everything for you and me, pausing to thank Him throughout the day (every day) is the least we can do to let Him Know how much we Love Him and how Grateful we are. There isn’t another relationship on the planet that could survive with the lame time and attention we attempt to get by with in our “relationship” with God – why would the Author and Perfector of Faith be satisfied with crumbs?

I’m chasing “Well done”. I’m Serving Him with all my Heart. I love Him enough to Live FOR Him…and if necessary, I die for my Faith too. If anything, I never seem to have enough prayer time to adequately express what my Heart feels. He already knows my needs…the important thing is that He knows my Heart…and that’s only possible by spending Time in His Presence. “Thank you for the food we eat” – I don’t think so. He died for me, I live for Him, and I don’t even come close to deserving all the Blessings He floods me with day after day.

How about you?

Never Undestimate the Significance of the Small

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The magnificence of this new day captured my Heart the minute I stepped onto the porch, and I was compelled to Praise the God of all Creation. I don’t see just a good view, although it is, I see God. I don’t just see the wildlife that calls this farm home, I see God. This squirrel enjoying breakfast under the oak tree caught my eye, and I thought about how that little squirrel with a tiny little acorn has the potential to plant countless oak trees that might tower over the farmhouse one day…all because of God. God is the God of Big Things, and we spend plenty of time in Journey of Faith waiting for His Hand to move mountains because of it. But it’s in those “little things” where the Biggest Miracles can be found, and it’s through those “little things” that He can use me to have a Big Impact on my World. What a sweet reminder to me this morning, straight from the Throne of a Mighty God, to NEVER overlook the Little Things while looking for the Big. Isn’t that a good reminder for you too?

It can be so easy to do nothing while we wait for the Big Moments in Life, but we miss out on all the Tiny Pieces that make up the Big Things when we do. It can be so easy to overlook the Magnificent Moments while we wait on the sea to part or the mountains to move, but it’s in the Tiny Pieces that those most Magnificent Moments are found. Lots of people refuse to step into their Faith, and they whine about not knowing what God wants them to do while they’re here on this earth. But there are millions of Tiny Pieces that they can be a part of this very moment…IF they’re just willing to look for them and IF they’re humble enough to participate. It’s the ego that causes us to wait for the Big things to be a part of, and it’s pride that stops us from Serving in a million Tiny Ways.

This very moment, there are people across the country praying and “waiting on God” to Provide the funding to launch a mission to feed the hungry somewhere in the world BUT, most of them would never consider feeding a meal or two to a homeless person in their own home in the meantime. This very moment, there are people across this country praying and “waiting on God” to do something about abortion BUT most of them would never consider taking a pregnant teenager into their own home in the meantime. This very moment, there are people across the globe praying and “waiting on God” to touch the hearts of “lost” loved ones…but most of them wouldn’t dream of Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ on their own. There are millions of Tiny Pieces that anybody can do that will ultimately lead to the Bigger Miracles, but few are willing to try because they want the Big Moments OR no moments at all. Sad but true.

There once was a man who was desperate to be healed of leprosy. When he was told that there was a Prophet who could heal him, he immediately loaded a caravan with treasures to pay for his healing and then headed out to find his hope. Before he ever reached the home of the Prophet, he was sent instructions for his healing… “go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be cleansed”, and when he heard these Simple Words, he was outraged! He expected Big Things! He anticipated a Magnificent Miracle Moment! He THOUGHT he deserved to be (and needed to be) “touched” in order to be healed, so he disregarded the simple instructions as nonsense and a total waste of his time. His pride and his ego got in the way of believing that He could find hope and healing in the Simple Instructions given to him, so he set out to return to his land still riddled with leprosy. Thankfully, he was encouraged by his friends to do what he was told to do…after all, what would he have to lose by trying? So, reluctantly, he followed the Simple Instructions, and he washed himself in the Jordan River seven times…and he was instantly healed (with skin like that of “a boy”). This man could so easily have missed out on the Tiny Step that would lead to a Magnificent Moment, all because of HIS interpretation of what it takes for God to do Big Things. But the God that brings forth those Miraculous Moments is the same God that uses a million Tiny Pieces to bring Glory to Himself too, and it’s through those Tiny Pieces that He can (and He will) use His People day in and day out…IF they will humble themselves and IF they are willing to participate.

I’m a simple woman, living in a simple farmhouse on a simple farm in Virginia. I’m a wife, a Mom, a Grandma, a friend, AND I’m a child of the Living God. I’m a Tiny Piece in the Bigger Picture. I have no formal education, and I have no special talents that set me apart from everybody else in the world – BUT I Understand that my life on earth is just “a vapor”, and that my days of living are getting shorter every day. I Understand the Significance of all the Tiny Pieces that I can be a part of that will have a Big Impact and an Everlasting Significance on my world. I open my simple life on this simple farm for all the world to see because I know that when I do I have the chance to offer a Tiny Piece that will Glorify God. I welcome the masses into my home and onto the land of this simple farm because I know that every footstep will be a chance to Glorify my God by sharing all that He is and all that He does for me. I open my Heart and I share my weaknesses because I know that every Word I Speak is a chance to Glorify my God. All the Tiny Pieces that I’m willing to be a part of will “all work together for Good,” and at the end of my days when I draw my last breath, all those Tiny Pieces will add up to Magnificence.

I’m a humble Servant, and He is my God. What I may be inclined to believe is “simple” will always be Significant if it’s something He calls for me to do, AND if I’m willing to do the Tiny things that become Big Things that bring Him Glory. After all, if God can use a little squirrel with a tiny acorn to grow a forest, just think what He can do with me!

How about you?

I’m Not Budging Without a Heavenly Action Plan…

/ www.LivingLarger.life / 1 Comment

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s still cold outside right now, but it promises to be warmer again today, and just the mere thought of warmer temperatures makes me smile. I’ve spent some time with the Living God this morning “drawing circles” around a few things in my life that I need Solutions for, and I refuse to budge from this circle of prayer until I have an Action Plan that was Designed in the Heavens for my circumstances. I’m not daring God and I’m sure not testing Him. Instead, I’m making sure that He sees my Commitment to finding the Right Solution, and I know for sure that He hears me… because He always does. I don’t know how long I’ll be in this “circle” but I’m willing to wait for as long as it takes and I’m Trusting in the outcome before I ever see it. I believe. The Bible says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”. I have absolute confidence in what I “hope for” – now all I need is to patiently wait for the Perfect Solution He has! Isn’t that what your Relationship with the Living God looks like too?

I’m not one to pray simple prayers and I certainly don’t just pray sweet ones. I have BIG Requests of the Living God so I don’t approach His Throne like a wussie and I don’t approach Him with doubt. I’ve been taught how to pray by the Master Himself, and I’m a Warrior when it comes to prayer. I know that my prayers need to begin with Praise to a Mighty God, so when it comes to that part, that’s where I spend the beginning of my time with Him. “Our Father, which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name” means that His Name is HOLY and we need to be sure to declare it and to Believe it. I know from His Word that the Heavens praise Him 24 hours a day with “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty Who was, Who is, and Who is to come”. When I think of how beautiful that must sound as the Heavens declare the Majesty of my God I weep. One Day I’ll hear those Praises myself when I enter into Heaven with Him. Wow. After I praise Him, I thank Him for all that He is and all that He does for me and my family. I could spend 24 hours a day for all of eternity on that part alone because His wonders are “too many to declare”. After I’ve spent my time Praising Him and then Thanking Him it’s time to ask for Forgiveness. No matter how hard I try, or how well I live, there’s always something that I need to be Forgiven of…He already knows whatever it is and He’s always ready to Forgive me BUT He still wants to hear it from me and He wants to see my Humility as I stand before Him. Then, AFTER ALL THAT, it’s time to make my Requests known to the “Great I am”. One thing I am sure of is that it takes entering His Presence with the Right Heart for either of us to be prepared to talk about Requests. It’s ONLY after I Praise Him for Who He is and I thank Him for all that He does for me and I address my Wrongs, that I can approach His Throne with Confidence and a Faith that can move a mountain.

I know His Word pretty well and I’m not afraid to say so when we Meet. I know Who He is and I know What He says. I know that He will never leave me nor forsake me, and I make sure that He knows that I Believe it. I know that He says that I don’t have to worry about anything at all because if He cares about “the birds in the air”, surely He will provide for me and I don’t have a single doubt that He will. I know that He’s the One that has given me a soul-winning, saint-spurring Ministry and I’m not afraid to ask Him to “enlarge my territory” so that I can reach more. I know that He says that He will “take you by the right hand and lead you” so as long as I’m willing to surrender to His Leadership everything is going to be alright. BUT I also know that if I stand before my God like a wussie, and I pray without Believing my own words, I should have no expectation at all that my prayers will be heard at all. I pray with boldness and I Believe in the results long before I see them because His Word says, “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do”. When you think about it, how could ANY child of the Living God pray without actually believing what they’re praying for?

I Declare Victory over the challenges in my Journey of Faith every day. I don’t just ask Him if He’ll help see me through (AS IF I don’t want to be a bother to Him) because there is no comparison between “surviving” and absolute Victory. I make sure that He Knows that I’m Armed and Ready for Battle, I don’t hide under the bed and ask Him to fight the Bully for me, I use the Tools He’s already given to me for Battle and I follow my War Instructions well. I don’t spend time begging God for things to be “His Will”, and I don’t address Him with meekness. I refer to His Promises and I Declare His Majesty instead and when I pray, I BELIEVE. I don’t always get what I ask for because what I ask for isn’t always within His Plans for me…at least for now. But I could spend the rest of my Life making a list of ALL of my Requests that have been Honored by the Living God and all of the Miraculous things He’s done in my Life. I stand on His Promises and I Believe…and I always will.

I’ve drawn a “circle” around a few things in my Journey of Faith and I know that Jehovah Shammah (“God is there”) is hearing every Word I speak and He knows everything within my Heart. I know that HE knows that I won’t budge from the “circle” until I hear from Him – until he provides the Solutions that I’m praying and Believing in. The Bible says, “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” so I Know that God doesn’t mind my Relentless approach to things I’m praying and Believing in. I’m a Child of the Living God. I’m a Warrior. I don’t quit. I’m unstoppable and unshakable. Most of all, I Believe.

How about you?

Train up a Child…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLAYTON!

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. From the looks of things from the front porch this morning, this day could easily turn out to be a “dreary” one, but there won’t be anything dreary about the day itself for me. I spent my time with the Living God giving Thanks more than anything else, and my Heart is bright enough to light up this entire old farm if that was possible. The Blessings overwhelm me. Answers to my prayers Humble me. His Perfect Plans for my Life inspire every minute of my Time. He’s a Mighty God so worthy to be Praised. This morning I’m especially thankful that He chose me to be His Child and because of that, there is an entire generation following in His Footsteps too. The Seed of Faith He planted within me so long ago will last for generations and generations to come. Hallelujah! Isn’t that the way you see your Journey of Faith too?

Thirty-seven years ago today my oldest son was born. It wasn’t an easy season, and I wasn’t overjoyed to be expecting my third child. I didn’t know how I’d handle another baby with two already at home and a busy job working to feed them all. I was worn out, unhappy, and self-centered. While I was preparing to be discharged from the hospital after his birth, I was told there were serious complications and my baby boy was immediately placed in the NICU. I began to pray like never before, beginning by confessing my selfish Heart and how I could worry more about myself and how “I” was going to handle my burdens than I was about the Blessing of this child…and I cried out to God for mercy. After a long week of praying and waiting for news from the barrage of testing they did on my sweet baby boy, his symptoms abruptly lifted and he left the doctors perplexed. “We can’t explain it”, they said…but I sure could! We were discharged from the hospital on my 30th birthday…the very best birthday present I could ever dream of! There were miracles wrapped all around the birth of my son, but the Miracle of healing was brought on by the Power of a praying mother and a very Merciful God. He heard my prayers then and He’s heard every single prayer I’ve ever prayed for this precious son of mine over the years. There are no words to express my love for my son. What a wonderful man He’s become…one that would make any mother proud. He’s healthy and strong, loving, kind, and compassionate. He loves me, he loves his siblings, and he loves the Lord and ALL the credit belongs to my Kind, Compassionate Merciful God.

Look out when a godly mother sets out to pray! She knows how to do Battle in the heavens on behalf of her family and she knows Who to Trust with the Results. I’ve spent entire nights pacing the floors of this old farmhouse while I battled through challenges at home and God was Faithful and Merciful every single time. I didn’t spend my time begging – I didn’t spend my time doubting – I spent my time standing on the Promises of my Mighty and loving God. I prayed for Mercy and Wisdom and I TRUSTED Him with my family. I claimed Victory over it all! I poured Living Water into my children every single day of their lives and I did my best to be a Reflection of Jesus Christ through it all. They saw Him in me. Prayers over my children were for things much bigger than good grades or sports, I prayed for the Eternal things instead. I prayed for their souls – the ONLY thing that really matters in the end. I prayed for future mates. I prayed for a godly generation. I prayed for my grandchildren before they were ever even imagined. One by one each one of my children accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and today their lives Reflect His Heart by the way they love. This is the Key to “train up a child in the way he should go.”

Today I’m celebrating the birth of my gentle giant 37 years ago and I’m STILL giving thanks to God for hand-picking me to be his Mom. Seeing answers to prayers come to life years after I prayed them makes me even MORE thankful to my Mighty and Merciful God. I’ll never stop praying for my family…for the big things and some little things too. God’s Word “does NOT return void” and I speak it over their lives daily. I’ve got countless generations already covered as I pray for my children’s children and beyond. I know God hears the prayers of this praying mother and I know that my prayers will NEVER “expire” over time.

Happy birthday, Clayton. I love you more than life itself.

Never Gauge By Quiet and Still…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It’s cool and breezy this morning and apart from the deer grazing in the field, everything is fairly quiet and still at the farm today. As I entered His Presence to give my Praise and my thanks, I became distracted by the idea of quiet and still. It was as if my soul was being issued a Warning – – a warning about what sometimes lurks behind the quiet and still! As peaceful as the setting is from the front porch at the farm, it’s not that way with the world. No doubt Heavenly Happenings are beyond our ability to Understand on this side of Life, but I know a few things for sure – I Know that God is at Work…I Know that this world is in a place it’s never been before, AND I Know that I were born for such a time as this! So, the Lord of Hosts issued a Reminder to me this morning – a Firm Reminder for me not to become obsessed over trying to make the world quiet and still, but to Live with Heavenly things in mind instead. Isn’t that the way you see it too?

If only we would spend more time savoring the Word of God instead of obsessing over words coming through the news feeds, we’d see the world from a Heavenly Perspective and we’d stop being anxious about anything. We wouldn’t be surprised by what we see with our eyes. We wouldn’t be surprised by pestilence. We wouldn’t be surprised by sexual immorality. We wouldn’t be surprised that children are being used and abused. We wouldn’t be surprised by war. We wouldn’t be surprised by the election results and we wouldn’t whine about who God has allowed to rule. We wouldn’t be surprised to know the world hates us because of Him. We wouldn’t be fearful of the unknown. We wouldn’t gauge the spiritual condition of the world based on “quiet and still”. We would know better than to hold court with the dark world, and we wouldn’t try to speak FOR God things too mysterious for us to understand on this side of Heaven. If only we would Focus more on His Will instead of our own desires, we’d not only have the kind of “Peace that surpasses all understanding” but we’d have souls on Fire because of it. When we Focus on His Will more than anything else, we Accept the fact that He’s up to something big, and we feel Blessed just to be able to be a part of it. If only we would Focus on Him…the God who “gives and takes away” we would spend more time on our knees pleading for Forgiveness and Mercy than we do on our soapbox screaming for justice.

I don’t know what God is up to these days, but I’m excited about whatever it is. We’ve never been here before, but He has. We rely on the quiet and still, but He doesn’t. Despite the turmoil and the evil I see, I wholeheartedly Believe in my God on the Throne who is Orchestrating every move…and I Trust Him. I’m ready for whatever He does and I Celebrate that I was born for such a time as this! I have absolute confidence in the Lord of Hosts and I know that His Work for me here on this earth is temporary…but His Plans for me are Eternal. I’ll stumble every once in a while, and if I focus on the details of the evil around me I might even be fearful too…temporarily. But I’ll take His Hand and let Him lead me through it all and I WILL be Victorious because of it. And maybe, if I Serve Him selflessly all the days of my Life, I might hear “well done, good and faithful servant.” That’s the goal.

How about you?

I Know Where Victory Is Found…Do You?

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The wind howled through Virginia last night and I was pleasantly surprised to see no damage done when I stepped outside this morning. While the wind howled outside, I “howled” to the heavens, spending half the night in prayer – another night before the Throne of God appealing on behalf of others. By the time the sun showed itself, it was more like a signal to the end of a restless night than a celebration of a new day. It’s always time for Battle in the Life of a Christian…especially the vocal ones like me – but every once in a while the battle becomes BIGGER, so I turn up the heat through prayer and sharpen my Weapons for Victory. I didn’t fret and wring my hands throughout the night…I FOUGHT like the Warrior I am and I shouted the name of Jesus Christ to put my Enemy on notice and to Proclaim my Victory long before I see it. Isn’t that what you do when you’re fighting a BIG battle too?

It can be so easy for us to fold under the pressure of Battle but it NEVER has to be that way. Since we’ve already been told that “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” so WHY in the world would we rely on flesh and blood tactics to Fight a Spiritual Battle? No matter what we face in this Journey called Life, we have the Weapons for battle, and we have the One who Intercedes on our behalf. Keeping this in mind is the Key to using the right Weapons for the war and it’s the only way to find Peace (and Victory) in the Battle. I don’t fold under the pressure and I don’t succumb to what I see with my eyes, because “logic” has no place in the Kingdom of God. There’s no way to rationalize God’s Master Plan and, although I don’t always get my way, I always Trust His Ways no matter what. Isn’t that the way a Father wants His Children to Live?

When I pray I don’t spend a lot of time asking for His Will to be done because I know that it always will be; I spend a lot of Time speaking Victory instead. I shout out His Promises that are written in Black and White, and I Celebrate the outcome that I’m Trusting Him to work out according to His Master Plan. When I’m doing battle over BIG things I’m like a Spiritual maniac. I pray and pace and I’m oblivious to time. I don’t worry about the sleep I’m “losing” because I know that when I spend the night in the Presence of God, He’ll give me supernatural Strength for the new day. I Proclaim Victory with my voice and in my Heart and I don’t doubt for one second that Victory will come…Victory according to His Master Plan. Sometimes I even laugh at my enemy and I remind him that he DOES NOT WIN – and I laugh because I KNOW that every demon in hell is shuddering because of this maniacal Pray Warrior. How can I NOT win when I know how to do Battle?

I surrendered a little sleep last night to step into a Battle that (sadly) most people don’t even Know how to Fight and today I’m overwhelmed with Peace because of it. My “howls” were Heard by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and I am sure that my prayers were like “incense” to Him because the Bible says so. There’s no need for me to “dwell” on the things I prayed about, and I sure don’t need to worry about the people I’m praying for because the Creator of All holds everything and everyone in the palm of His Hands. God hears my every prayer BUT that doesn’t mean I’ll stop praying. Until I see Victory over these things, I will not cease to pray…but more than that…I WILL NOT surrender and I WILL NOT doubt the outcome. I’m a Warrior. I’m Victorious. I’m a Spiritual maniac. I’m A WINNER because of Him – He taught me how to Fight and Win by using the Weapons He’s already given to me..and I Know how to use them well because He Instructed me.

How about you? Do Know how to do Battle in the heavens and find your Victory? If not, reach out to me and I’ll show you the way to Peace.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Just Let It Go!

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. The morning temperatures are dropping and Fall is in the air, but I’ll endure the colder temperatures as long as I can just to be able to meet with my Master outside before winter shows up. Like ointment for my soul, I hovered in the Psalms this morning, confident that my Heart could be Strengthened by David’s Heart, and I was right. I was feeling as if life was “pressing down” on me and I KNOW David felt that way plenty of times too…that is UNTIL He surrendered it all to God. So with a Sweet Reminder from David, I laid it all down too. God is always just a prayer away and Peace is always found in Surrender. The great “I AM” is much more capable of Managing my Life than I am, and I only fool myself into thinking I’m actually in “control” when I’m not in control at all. After years in this Journey of Faith, I Know what Surrender looks like and I Know where to go for my Nourishment. This morning I went from feeling envious of the deer because they seemingly don’t have a care in the world to relating to them because I Know that with God…I don’t either. Isn’t that the way you see your Journey too?

Some days the load seems heavy and the burdens look big, but I Serve a God who’s ready to carry the weight if I just turn it all over to Him. Some days are laced with adversity, but I Serve a God who can bring Peace to any situation as long as I turn it all over to Him. Some days are filled with sorrow and sadness, but I Serve a God who will wipe every tear away One Day, and He is always “near to the brokenhearted.” I Serve a God who treasures each of my tears so much that He stores them up “in a jar” because He loves me. Some days are filled with doubt and uncertainty, but I Serve a God who will “keep my path straight” and give me wisdom any time I ask for it. Some days are overwhelming, but I Serve a God who isn’t overwhelmed (or surprised) by ANYTHING and He is the Source of Peace. Some days feel like they’re out of control, but I Serve a God who holds the whole world in the palm of His Hands and He Controls it all. No matter the burdens we “carry”, pain is self-inflicted when we attempt to do what only God can do. My God is bigger! What a great reminder straight from the Throne of my Mighty and Merciful God this morning that all I ever need to do is to Turn to His Word for Direction and to the Holy Spirit for Guidance. This is the secret to Peace and Strength no matter what.

I’m Refreshed, I’m Strengthened and I’m Restored this morning despite the long list of things needing to be done ONLY BECAUSE I turned to my Source. Thank you, God. Thank you, David. All the “pressing down” I was succumbing to was self-inflicted AND from the pit of Hell intended to discourage me. But the liar from Hell doesn’t stand a chance with someone like me because my soul pants for the King like a deer pants for water and as long as I’m chasing after Jesus, I’ll always be Victorious.

How about you?

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 91:14-16

Be Still…He’s Waiting For You!

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. My first thought was of the Living God when I opened my eyes this morning – He’s my first thought and my Biggest Priority in this Journey called life. I couldn’t wait to get in His presence so I headed out to the front porch eager to see what He had in store on this new day. What I saw took my breath away and it prepared me to sit in the presence of my Mighty God. I went from feeling “small” and insignificant in the big scheme of things to Praising the One Who Created me for His Purpose and Who Calls me by name! Hallejulah! Just like everybody else, there are plenty of other things I could choose to be doing in the early hours of any new day, but NOTHING compares to being in His Presence. His Word says to “be still and know that I am God” and it’s that “still” part that feeds my soul the most – more than Christian music playing in the background or a long walk to commune with His creation – it’s when we’re “still” that He is able to drive a Message home, and it’s when we’re “still” that He can Speak directly to the Heart of His people with no outward distractions at all. So, “still” I am day after day. Isn’t that the way you spend your morning too?

It’s interesting to hear how some people define their “quiet time” with God. Some people have a Bible reading plan to help them stay on track to read the entire Bible from start to finish and they never venture off track on their own. Some people put on Christian music while they prepare breakfast for the family and somehow in the middle of morning chaos, they believe they’ve had quiet time with the King. Some people read a page or two from a devotional and call it a day. Some people dedicate time to homework for a Bible study they’ve committed to and they label that as “quiet time” instead of extra credit. Some people read a chapter or two from a book written by a Christian author and that becomes “quiet time” for them. Some tune into a sermon on TV or on the Internet and they’ve sold themselves on the quality of their quiet time in their recliner. Some people multi-task by listening to a spiritual message while they work out at the gym or take an early morning walk or run. Some pray on their way to work or listen to a spiritual message along the way. There’s absolutely NOTHING wrong with any of these things because each one is an effort to fill the mind and the soul with Good things. BUT none of these things can be defined as “quiet time” and none of them leave room to “be still” before the Living God. None of them make room for those miraculous moments when God unexpectedly “shows up” in the quiet. Although God is always with us, and I’m sure He likes some of those attempts we take to fill our world with Him, I believe He likes it best when everything else in the world is set aside and tuned out and He gets some SERIOUS one-on-one time with His child in the quiet.

I’m just an average woman with an above-average Faith in the Living God and the Priorities in my very busy Life are in order. He’s my FIRST priority and it shows in all that I am and all that I do! It’s because of Him that I know how to Love. It’s because of Him that my Faith is unshakable. It’s because of Him that I Persevere no matter what. It’s because of Him that I hurt for the Lost ones and I do my part to Share. It’s because of Him that I have a Future laid out for me that is more beautiful than the mind can imagine – a place where there is no more sickness, sadness, or pain. With all that said, WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD I NOT make time to sit in silence before the Throne of a Mighty God? There is no doubt about Who my Heart belongs to. There’s no competing with my time because my world Knows that He comes first. I’ll always have a mile-long list of things to do and I’m (at least) as busy as the next guy, BUT before I get busy on any new day, I get “still” and in those “still” moments the world isn’t even a blip on my radar screen. He gets the One-on-one time that He tells me I need in order to live the Life He Created me to live. The King of all kings WANTS to spend time with His child and there is no greater Joy in my Life because of it. I’m being still.

How about you?