Someone's praying... Brad and Rebecca

 https://youtu.be/NZGlRspD0Ic

Prayers of The Righteous: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16 

 I pray that if you don't believe in the power that prayer has, that you will come to believe.

 I can't even count, the countless times I have reached out to the body of Christ, to lift me, or a family member, or a friend up in prayer. I don't hesitate to reach out for prayer. I believe in it with all my heart. Because I have experienced the power that comes from it.  The peace and the strength that comes from it. I can be down in the dump's one minute, and lifted up the next. 

I know all too well, that just because I am a Christian, a follower of Christ, does not mean that hard times are not going to come upon me.  But I also know, that a Christian's most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer.The results are often greater than we thought are possible. Some people see prayer as a last resort to be tried. Prayer should come first, because God's power is infinitely greater than ours. It only makes sense to rely on it. Especially because God encourages us to do so.

 I serve God in an awesome Bible study with ladies. We have a text message group prayer chain.  I can't tell you the countless times that we have carried each other to the throne room of God, and have experienced peace, strength,  and miracles.  There is nothing like knowing, someone is carrying you, when you can't carry yourself to the feet of Jesus. 

 There is another scripture I absolutely love. Romans chapter 8: 26-27, " In the same way, the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the spirit, because the spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."...... Even when we don't know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for us, and God answers.

 Like the lyrics of this song... Mountains can be moved,  Lift your faith, the miraculous can overtake the room.  When we cry out there is power. Call upon the King, He is listening.  At the right hand of the Father, Jesus is listening to make a way for me."

 Pray for one another. There is there is power.

 For your glory Lord

Kim D

Revival.... Chris McClaren

 https://youtu.be/FMxtKrT5jd8

 We know that only God can heal our land. That only God can make things right again.  Over and over again, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, God says, "return to me" in one way or another. 

Zechariah 1:3..2 Chronicles 30:9...Isaiah 44:2...Joel 2:13.. John 15:4...John 14:23

 As christians, when are obedience to God begins to disintegrate, so goes the family, so goes the nation.  When we stop letting God lead us, we become no better than the evil people around us. When we make our own laws for our own benefit, we set standards far below God's. When we leave God out of our life, we may be shocked at what we are capable of doing. 

 I believe the horrible crimes we are seeing, are not just based on the failure of the government to have Godly principles. But because Christians are luke warm. Looking more and more like everyone else.  We are compromising. When we need to submit to the authority of Christ, 2  Corinthians 6:14-17.

 Revelation, chapters 1, 2 and 3, should really awaken the church! Revelation 3:2, "Wake up!".....  Revelation 3: 15, " I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are a lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I'm about to spit you out of my mouth." 

WOW,  that's actually how it feels, and looks in this crazy world. God's not playing. It's time for us to stop playing church, and playing Christian. 

 Just like our pastor taught last Sunday, "you can't call yourself a Christian if you're not following." Bold truth spoken from the pulpit. 

 Whenever we get away from God and his word,  all sorts of evil follow. Our drifting away from God may be slow, but it is for sure to affect the future generation. We must continually call our nation back to God.  God's moral and spiritual reign must begin in the heart of each and every one of us.

For you glory Lord

Kim D

High and lifted up.. Hillsong

 https://youtu.be/slLSH7ntjxw

Isaiah 6: 1," I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted"...

 When God removes things from our life, how do we handle it? It could be a death of a loved one. It could be a divorce, family issues. Anything that is allowed to happen in our lives is for a purpose. 

 When God removes things to put Himself in that place, that is usually when we don't understand, and start to fall apart. But that's when we should seek Him deeper and see the Lord like Isaiah did. 

Our vision is dependent on Christ being formed in us......

From My Utmost: His use of external circumstances to bring about internal purification.

Your priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face to face with God and no one else is taken into account whatsoever. Your prayer will then be, “In all the world there is no one but You, dear God; there is no one but You.”

Keep paying the price. Let God see that you are willing to live up to the vision.

For Your glory Lord 

Kim D

Knowing You.. Steffany Gretzinger

 https://youtu.be/l_wC29WxfEY

I never see anything that happens in my life anymore as a coincidence. Everything happens for a God given reason. Every situation I find myself in, good, bad, or ugly,  is a way to find a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ and all He is in me. The Holy Spirit is determined that we have this knowledge.

When I go through something and I need His peace and strength, I pray for it. I ask people to pray for me. I ask the Holy Spirit to reveal things in me that I need to change. Peace, strength, and joy of the Lord does not come, until what the Holy Spirit is revealing in me to change and I am obedient to that change. He doesn't care who's right or wrong in anything. His concern is to look more and more like Jesus in all things. This is a lifelong process of sanctification and allowing the Holy Spirit to change us within by daily reading of Gods word which has the positive effect on our minds and hearts,  John 17: 15-19...

I want to know Jesus in everything I go through. Psalm 77:11-12, " I will remember the deeds of the Lord, yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds."  Memories of his miracles and faithfulness are what sustain us through present circumstances. There will always be new things in our life to cause us too worry, or have anxiety. But the key for me to peace,  is remembering all that God has brought me through.  How it was a choice to be still with Him and grow. To let Him use whatever He has allowed for His glory.  So look back and remember where you were, and all He's brought you through. Then help someone else. That is what this life is all about. 

For Your glory Lord

Kim D

Integrity... River Valley worship

 https://youtu.be/sGsQyzay140

Conviction is a marvelous thing. It changes us if we allow it and don't make excuses. 

 

I am reading 2 Peter 1:3-9, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness."..  The scripture goes on to talk about making every effort to add to our faith, goodness, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. "If we possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is near sighted and blind"....

So if we're not allowing the Holy Spirit, (His divine power) to work on developing these qualities, maybe we don't belong to Christ. The scripture clearly says, "in increasing measure."

Reading this lead me back to Philippians 2: 1-18.  That our attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ. Verse 12 tells us to,  "continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

 The Holy Spirit is at constant work in us if we allow him. He's growing us, in great measures. 

Take a look at one more scripture with me. Matthew 5: 9, " Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."  A peacemaker. Not a gossiper, not one who follows the crowd, not one who pays back evil for evil. But the one that is different.  The one that people say, "you're a fool.  Or you are weird."  A fool for Jesus, that's fine with me. That's what I desire to be. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit, and constantly being drawn in closer. This is my prayer. 

Thank You Lord for this precious gift within. 

I want to live with integrity. For your glory Lord

Kim D

Fill me... Red Rock Worship

 https://youtu.be/TxnEFolX-Ns

Romans 5:5...." God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

Knowing that this world will never change, I can only ask the Holy Spirit to continue to change me.  As the world gets uglier, I can become more bitter and angry. Or become more of what the word of God tells me. Matthew 5:7-9,  Blessed are the merciful... Blessed are the pure in heart.... Blessed are the peacemakers... James 3 talks about the taming of the tongue.  That it's like a fire,

 verse 6.  Verse 8 tells you that it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 1 Peter 3: 8-12.  These verses talk about being compassionate and humble. Not repaying evil with evil, or insult with insult.  Seeking peace and pursuing it. In our fallen world it seems acceptable by some to tear people down, or to get back at them if we feel hurt or disagree on a matter. In God's kingdom, revenge is an unacceptable behavior, as is insulting a person no matter how indirectly it is done. We must rise above getting back at those who hurt us. Or those who have a different opinion. Opinion is all it is, if it isn't Gods truth. Let it go. Don't fall into satan's trap and fight and quarrel. Ask for wisdom, James 3: 13-18.  As the Holy Spirit fills us, He purifies our heart. He gives us self control. Then the words that we speak will please God. Instead of reacting angrily to these people pray for them. OH LORD HELP ME!

 So many things that we see happening should not be a surprise when you know that the Bible tells us the world is satan's. (2 Corinthians 4:4--Ephesians 2:2)

Someday I will be going to my eternal forever home. I can only hope to hear, Matthew 25:23, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

While I am here, I need to ask God to continually help me. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. 

Thank You Lord for hearing my prayer. 

Kim D