Tag Archive | prayer

When God Moves

Aug24

Have you been there? When you know something is coming but you’re not quite sure yet what it is? When you are on the brink of something great that God has been preparing you for? When the floodgates of opportunity open up for you? When you’ve been walking in the desert waiting, knowing that at any moment you are about to step into the promised land?

Well, I’ll have to tell you that my life has been a whirlwind of God’s movement since Thursday.

If you recall my devotional on Friday, August 22, you will know that God blessed my obedience with six beautiful ladies coming to my house and enjoying a time of fellowship and introduction to my best friend, Jesus Christ.

Nothing, I mean nothing happens by accident. In God’s perfect plan, He knows all that is going on. Another blessing from my wonderful Father came my way when a free admission ticket dropped into my lap for Women of Faith. I was looking forward to going on Saturday.

God also knew that I would be offered a chance to go to the Friday night program. This of course wasn’t offered to me until 45 minutes before I was to be picked up. Since this was Friday and I had worked all week to make my house presentable for Thursday night fellowship I had decided to take Friday as a “lazy “day. I did laundry, which means all my clothes were dirty, so I lounged around in my PJs all day. When I received the phone call I had not seen soap, water, shampoo or a hairbrush all day. Exactly — 45 minutes to get ready, and do I even have any clean and dry clothes to wear?

I debated whether I really wanted to go. I went ahead and started getting ready, asking God whether I should go or not. I was like the verse in James that says, “like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind”. When I was ready I still have not made a decision until I read a verse from my phone. “Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord God is holy”. (Psalm 99:9) I had my answer and off I went for a wonderful evening of worship.

Then comes Saturday. The conference was entitled “From Survival to Revival”. Let me begin by saying that two sessions were entitled Renew and Restore, which are two of the keywords in my mission statement. I am currently doing a Bible study and one week was on recharging, another topic of one of the sessions.  And then there was the final session on Revive. I believe I was there to be revived by God so I could be ready for the mission He is about to unfold through me.

Christine Caine, one of the speakers, spoke out of Joshua chapter 1 where God told Joshua to cross over into the promised land. The promise. Loud and clear I heard, through Christine, that God has prepared me and am I ready to cross over to what He has promised.

God gave to me a promised vision many years ago but He has been at work in me preparing me to cross over to that promise. Am I ready? Yes, although I am afraid, not of where or what God will do through me, but of my failure to lean on, trust in, surrender all to Him. I will move forward with my Lord because I know He loves me and He has promised to be with me always. So my weekend has been a whirlwind that has blessed, challenged and humbled this servant of the Most High God.

Was all this just coincidence? I don’t think so. I hope this testimony encourages you to be ready to be used by God. Sit at the Saviors feet and learn. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Trust him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. God has great plans for you and it is an exciting journey.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

Anticipation

Aug22

Have you experienced being called by God to do something and you are so excited and are confident that things are moving forward toward that goal God has placed on your heart? Well about a month ago God rekindled in my heart a vision I had about 3 years ago. I have prayed, planned and waited on God’s go ahead. When God is ready to use you it is so exciting, scary, exhilarating, challenging all at once. But God doesn’t just drop a plan in your lap and expect you to fulfill His plan alone. No, He continues to walk with you revealing His plan as you trust in Him.

Last night I had some young women over to my house to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them. Now this plan had been moving forward for a month now and I kept praying that God would use me for His glory and that I was not going to expect anything but would anticipate that God would do something this night. As of Wednesday I had confirmed that 3 women would be coming. I continued to trust the Lord that even if it was just those 3 that God had a plan for them.

Wednesday morning He sent me this scripture passage via a text that is sent to me each morning:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” — Luke 4:18-19

What affirmation that Jesus is with me and still fulfilling His purpose through me. Jesus came to preach the gospel, release the captives, free the oppressed and He is still doing it through His followers. Seeing and reading this passage encouraged me so much. I heard God telling me that Jesus would be with me and through me He would continue what He started many, many years ago.

Then yesterday’s scripture was:

You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. — John 15:16

I took full advantage of this verse believing that God has chosen me to share the gospel with these young ladies and I was bound and determined not to let my Lord down. I would bear fruit, fruit that would remain. I prayed some more for these ladies and the night. God leads through scripture. God encourages through scripture. And through prayer He used me last night to His glory. He blessed me with a very receptive group of women. That group totaled 7 of us. Is my God not amazing?

Seven women. Anticipating His greatness and work He blessed me. Of those 6 beautiful women, all participated in the activities and listened intently to what I shared. Best of all . . . they all want to come back next month. I am overjoyed at the work of the Lord through this imperfect person He calls His child.

I can’t wait until next month to see what He has planned. I will wait in anticipation of His work. No expectations, just anticipation. God is awesome and I am blessed. Thank you Lord for using me.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

God Really Cares

Aug21

casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:7

What are you worried about? What in your life is causing you anxiety? Do you know that God cares for you and that you can take anything and everything to Him in prayer?

God is Sovereign which means He is in control of all things and knows what is happening in your life. If God is in control of your life, that means you can trust Him. Who else can you trust with every aspect of your life? God says He can and He will. If we trust Him than it is a sin to worry/have anxiety. Our faith is weak when we worry. Why are you carrying the burden of worry when the Lord is waiting to hear about all that makes you anxious? He cares for you.

Okay, lets say that we are good at taking our worries and anxieties of life to God and spilling it all out to Him. That is wonderful. But do we take it back or leave it in His capable hands, trusting Him to see us through and give us direction? Take each specific worry or anxiety to God telling Him all about it. After each specific statement tell Him you trust Him to take care of that which is worrying or causing anxiety in you. Then trust Him for the outcome knowing He cares for you. To God be the glory in your life as you cast ALL your anxiety and worry on Him. He really cares for you.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith. The beginning of faith is the end of anxiety” — George Muller
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength” — Corrie ten Boom

How About You?

Aug16

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? (Some messages read see the face of God) — Psalms 42:2

I don’t know about you but I am so looking forward to seeing the face of God, standing before Him, seeing His glory. All fear gone, all hope fulfilled, O glorious day! There is only One living God and my soul thirsts for Him. My soul is quenched by reading His word and spending time in prayer with Him. But then I get thirsty again. I need the thirst quenching words of God daily. How about you?

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Keep Seeking

Aug11

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. — Colossians 3:1-4

“IF you have been raised up with Christ”, keep seeking, keep seeking . . .
Being in Christ is more than just having the security of heaven eternal. It is a responsibility. We must keep seeking and setting our minds on the things above, “not on the things that are on earth”. What profit is there of the things on earth when they all will be nothing when Christ returns? And compared to the light of His glory they are nothing now.

“And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

Seek Him daily in Bible Study and prayer.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Grasp. Seek. Know. Hope.

Aug1

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. — Romans 15:13

My prayer for you today. The awesome joy and peace of being a Christian. Available to all. Grasp it, seek it, know it. The hope that is Jesus Christ.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

WAIT!!!!!!!!?

Jul25

I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning. — Psalm 130:5-6

Wait. . . Wait . . . Wait . . .

That is a four letter word to us today. No one likes to wait. We look for the shortest line in the grocery store. When we ring the bell for service we want someone to answer that bell right away. When we sit in the doctor’s office waiting room we keep looking at our watches, or cell phones, to see how much they are running behind. We just don’t like to wait. It is an inconvenience. We are always in a hurry. To go where???

In our hurried lifestyle today we miss out on a lot. We don’t take the time to really listen and notice our children. They are just an added burden to the hurried lifestyle. We can’t seem to find a smile to share with someone as they hurriedly pass us by. We don’t notice God’s awesome creation — new life in the Spring, the beautiful blue sky and green grass of Summer, the colors of Fall and the pure white of Winter snow or the bare trees awaiting Spring. There is that “wait” again. The trees waiting for the blooms of Spring to dress them again. We tend to half listen to conversations we have with others and then wonder why communication is the biggest problem in relationships.

The biggest communication problem today is the lack of hearing the voice of God. We are too much in a hurry to spend time waiting on the Lord. Yet when we do wait upon the Lord we can hear His still small voice of direction, encouragement, love. My hope for the future is found in the waiting room of the Lord. He is my hope. He is my direction into the future. He guides my steps and my ways. Without Him I am merely walking blindly into the future with no direction or encouragement.

Take time to wait on the Lord. He is so worth it. Hope for the future and peace for the present.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Hope For The Future

Jul24

“There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord, “And your children will return to their own territory. — Jeremiah 31:17

I believe there is no greater joy than when you see the years of prayer you put in for your children begin to be answered.

My husband and I have often discussed how we were not the best parents but did the best we could — most of the time. We both believe it is by grace that our children managed to survive our rearing of them. I thank God that He is perfect and loves my children more than I could ever love them.

All our children have reached adulthood, despite their parents, and have not always followed our advice and counsel nor that of the Lord. They have wandered out into the world and made mistakes — but haven’t we all. In my 21 months away from my family I focused a lot on praying for my husband and kids, many times on my knees crying out on their behalf. My children were introduced to Jesus, all making a profession of faith, and then wandered into the world without Christ. It has just been recently that I see the miracle transformation taking place in all of them and I am ecstatic.

Rebellion from attending church has been turned into faithful consistent attendance. Never seeing them open the Word of God to asking where their Bible is, and seeing them reading it. Finding one in prayer and meditation with an open Bible. Alienation from church and Christians to a desire to fellowship.

The point of this is that my ever faithful God, in His perfect timing is answering my prayers and my tears are now tears of joy. Thank You Lord God for listening and for answering. Thank You for what You are doing in the lives of my children. May You continue to be glorified in their transformation. There is hope for my future and theirs.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Fountain of Living Water

Jul20

O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the Lord. — Jeremiah 17:13
How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, — Psalm 146:5

Hope in the Lord does not bring about shame. He is a trustworthy God who will not forsake His own. Turn to the Lord, the living water, from whom we are quenched. God loves us and desires us to do His will for the benefit of our souls and for His glory. He will not let us down. He will not forsake us so do not forsake Him. Turn to Jesus for the help to face each day, to know the freedom from sin only He can give, and to experience peace in a world of chaos. He so longs to show you all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that is Jesus Christ Himself.

Seek out the Lord Jesus Christ — by reading His Word, talking to a friend who knows Jesus, going to a church that proclaims the Good News of Jesus Christ and/or talking to Jesus by prayer. He is listening. Open your heart to receive all He has planned for you. He is your hope!

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Prophesy

Jul12

But if everyone is proclaiming God’s message when some unbelievers or ordinary people come in, they will be convinced of their sin by what they hear. They will be judged by all they hear,  their secret thoughts will be brought into the open, and they will bow down and worship God, confessing, “Truly God is here among you!”— 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 (GNT)

Proclaiming God’s message is a gift that one should earnestly desire. (14:1). The message is the Word of God. It is the gospel. It is Jesus Christ promised and fulfilled.

The power of the Word of God is miraculous. It brings unbelievers and ordinary people to their knees in repentance and worship of God. The Word of God has the power to convict, to bring to mind the deep secrets of the soul that darken a life. It has the power to bring knowledge of the One True God causing us to worship the King of kings and the Lord of lords. It has the power to draw us to the throne of God for mercy, grace and redemption.

When the Word of God is proclaimed in the church by everyone, not just the Pastor, then unbelievers will confess that “Truly God is among you!” Proclaim the Word of God in your everyday life. If you are walking closely with Him and studying His awesome Word then you will want to speak of His glory. You will see His glory in everyday happenings in your life. In those you have opportunities to share testimonies of God’s Word. As you do you will see unfold before you the power of God’s Word as it touches the lives of those who need Jesus Christ.

So. Will you earnestly desire the gift of proclaiming God’s Word? Pray asking for God’s gift to prophesy His truth and then seek Him in His Word so you may be equipped to proclaim the Good News!

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon