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“We shall devote ourselves whole-heartedlyto prayer and the ministry of the Word.”Acts 6:4 Phillips
Solomon warned, “Through lowering of hands, the house leaks.” (Eccl. 10:18 Masoretic Text, emphasis mine) This slackness applies not only to our physical house but to our spiritual house as well. According to the definitions, if through inactivity, negligence, or idleness, we lower our hands from lack of prayer and praise, then the house begins to weep.

So, whose house is leaking? Whose house is weeping? Our house? Our child’s house? Our friend’s house? Our neighbor’s house? Our nation’s House?

On the mount of victory with hands of surety uplifted into the air, Moses’ spoke prayers and praises and Israel prevailed against the enemy. When he lowered his hands, the enemy prevailed.

In our prayer efforts, let not the knees go unbent nor the hands weaken in lifting praise that the enemy not defeat us in our battles. Others need us to pray for them. As the Amplified puts it in Hebrews 12:12, “So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees.”

The Holy Spirit is our partner in prayer; He “comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf.” (Rom. 8:26 Amp)

Over which house is the enemy prevailing? Have you raised your hands to pray to stop the leaking, to stop the weeping?

Raise your hands, raise your hands and be sure!




Imperfect Prose


Reflections of His Grace

Today, I bring you another sweet cyber-friend, Stephanie Shott. As Stephanie wrote to me, “Lately I’ve been talking to moms who need this more than ever! The enemy is working overtime to defeat God’s children by trying to take ground in our children’s lives and I just want to encourage the hearts of each mom who has a prodigal and the one who don’t to pray for their kids like crazy.”

Please leave her some comment love...

“I have no greater joy than to hear thatmy children are walking in the truth.”3 John 4 NIV
I remember when we were on the mission field and we were struggling with some issues in our family. I looked at my husband and said, “I will not win a nation and lose my own son!”

No matter how successful I am in life, if my children do not walk with God, I will feel like I failed in the most important role I’ve ever been given...the role of a mother.

I realize that our job is to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; that we are to live out loud for Jesus in front of them and that we are to equip them in the Word. I also realize they are responsible to God for the choices they make once they become adults.

But just because the clock of life ticks past the magic age of 18 and our children become adults, we never stop being their mothers...and so we never stop praying.

Whether your little bundle of joy still resides in your womb or lives in his or her own home, you are still a mom... and we all know - there ain’t no love like a momma’s love!

That means, no one will pray for your kids like you will! No one will love your kids like you will! No one will bombard heaven for your kids like you will!

And while we do a lot of things for our children, there is nothing greater work than the that of prayer; there is no greater way to spend your time as a mother than on your knees in intercession for your kids.

As Oswald Chambers once said, “Prayer is the greater work!”

But as you pray, be specific. Cover them well in prayer. Seek God’s face for their future. Pray protection over them. Ask God to guard their hearts. Ask God to rebuke the enemy and to shield your children from every fiery dart he tries to send their way.

There’s so much to pray for. So many needs our children have. But the greatest and most important prayer we can pray is for the salvation of their souls.

So, here are a few verses we can cling to in prayer...claim by faith...and trust to come to pass. Here are some verses that we can pray knowing we are praying according to God’s will:

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

“Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:14

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” Acts 16:31

“And He said to them, ‘Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him”; and he will answer from within and say, “Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you”? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.’” Luke 11:5-10

There are a host of other verses you can pray for your children...but hopefully, these will get you started.

Go back over those precious verses, sweet friend. Look at how many times it talks about the will of God. When we pray God’s Word back to Him in accordance to His will, we know He hears us - we know He is working behind the scenes of our children’s lives to bring about their salvation.

Hold on to heaven with all you’ve got and bombard the throne of God for the salvation of your children. Whether they’re a newborn babe or an adult, you’re still their mom and no one is going to pray for them like you are! Absolutely no one!

If your child is saved, you are surely blessed! You have the joy of watching your children walk in the truth. Pray for those who don’t have that same joy. Pray for their children. Join them in prayer as one mother praying on behalf of another!

Join hands and hearts for the salvation of the next generation and let’s see what God will do when we do our greatest work...on our knees!

Are you praying for your child? Are you praying for someone else’s child? Would you like to add some verses for mothers to cling to and claim as they pray for their children’s salvation?

If you’d like to list your child’s name in the comment section, I’d be honored to pray for them. No one will ever pray for your children like you. But no one will ever understand the prayer of a mother’s heart like another mother!

Let’s pray for our children – let’s keep knocking until the door opens – let’s keep trusting God to part the Red Sea of their lives and my He give us the privilege of seeing the salvation of the Lord in their lives!

~Please visit Stephanie’s wonderful site.

Today, I am linking up with Bonnie Gray of FaithBarista on the topic of "Whitespace Jam: Share anything you’d like about your alone time with God."

The Lord once spoke this to my heart and I share it with you. May He speak it to your heart as well...

“My child, you are doing well. Keep aiming at the goal I have set for you. This has been a wearisome time, but keep your aim and your eye on the goal, that is, to do My will.

Obedience is of the utmost importance. All My trust is placed in one of My children who places all their trust in Me. I trust them to do My work, that work which is so important for the lost world.

There are those who desperately need your obedience, for without it, their pathway is hindered. There are many who depend on My obedient children even though they do not know it.

The future of some, the well-being of others is so dependent upon your obedience. Take care that you heed My words.

I will help you rule your time. Give all your time into My hands. I will see to it that there is time enough for everything you need, and I need you, to do.

I am building up the waste places in your life, brick by brick. You are placing them back together with the cement of obedience to repair the wall that was broken down. Rejoice now as you build upon that firm foundation.

I will bring about My will in your life. But you must be willing as a little child to follow Me and do so obediently.

All My blessings are being poured out on you. I will rectify everything. I love you.”

A few years ago, the Lord showed me a vision of man’s sin on earth. I now share it with you.

As a spectator looking down on the planet from outer space, I observed earth slowly shriveling like a prune, drying up for lack of sun and moisture. At the same time, humanity was withering in the same way, evaporating from the lack of the Son and dew of the Spirit.

Barely a division between those in the church and those outside the church existed. Man’s selfishness covered the earth.

Man’s sins - his inhumanity, pride, bloodshed, lust, perversion of what God intended to be pure, such as marriage and His relationship with His own children - rose up from the earth as thick, ebony smoke, constricting the planet, as if squeezing the life out of it. It ascended into the atmosphere as a dark veil, deflecting the light of God.

“Oh, God,” I cried. “How can this be reversed? What can man do to bring back Your light into the world?”

Without a verbal answer, He showed me men lying prostrate on the ground, all across the globe. Like little spikes sticking up out of a deflated ball, hands were thrust up in prayer. With a great breath, the Spirit exhaled a current that encircled the earth and broke through the veil.

The Spirit then began to move upon those with uplifted hands, sparking a revival of the church, and the influence spread to unbelievers who accepted God’s salvation. It brought to my mind creation in Genesis 1:2, as tohuw and bohuw, without form and void, as the Life of the Spirit hovered over the earth.

I said, “Lord, what will bring this about?”

He answered, “Prayer, prayer, and more prayer, and the hearts of My people longing to bring men into My Light and My salvation.”

Then, the earth and humanity’s darkness gradually became illuminated, growing brighter and brighter, as if released from the black of night to the brilliance of the noonday sun.

God said, “As men will cleanse themselves in the blood of My Son to rid themselves of the darkness within, My Light will shine, for I am Light and in Me there is no darkness, and if I, the Light of the World, live in you, there must be no darkness in you, for dark and Light cannot dwell together. Only when you shine as pure light will My Light be manifested to the world.”

“Look around you!” the disciple John said. “Vast fields of human souls are ripening all around us, and are ready now for reaping.” (John 4:35 TLB)

But what are we doing about it?

Prayer.

Did you cringe or smile when you read that word? Do you spend enough time in prayer?

Whatever the amount of time each of us spends on our knees, it can always be improved.

Since our precious Lord gave us an example of how to pray, I thought I would take what has been dubbed The Lord’s Prayer, or as the New King James Version entitles it, The Model Prayer, and make it a series.

In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus gives us the prototype, “Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
may Your name be kept holy.
May Your Kingdom come soon.
May Your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.” (NLT)

Some manuscripts add, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” I love that part!

Is prayer important? According to Jesus, it is. He spent a great deal of time on His knees. If He went to the garden, the hillside, or some other secluded place to spend time with His Father, how can we not think it is more important in our lives?

If God is our heavenly Father, how do we talk to Him? What tone do we use? Do we speak to Him...

* in respect, or disrespect, as we would our earthly father?
* in kind tones or in grumpiness?
* in belief of unbelief?
* in trust or in doubt?
* by shaking our fists at Him or raising our hands in praise?

Do we tell Him of our tender love for Him, or do we continually question Him as to why things are happening? Do we tell Him of our unreserved confidence in Him that He will always fulfill His promises? Do we praise Him for Who He is? Do we sit silently at His feet, just to be near Him?

Prayer is a private, exclusive audience with the King of heaven, spending time in His presence to worship Him and to love Him.

Prayer is like a child appealing to its father. Has your child ever crawled up in your lap just to snuggle with you because he or she loves you? Do you ever crawl up in the Father’s lap just to love on Him? He delights in that, just as you do.

Prayer is the development of our personal relationship with the Lord, as an intimate friend.

Prayer is communicating with the Lord, having an honest, heart-to-heart talk with Him. For this reason, prayer is a conversation, not a monologue! Conversing with Him implies listening to Him.

Prayer takes many forms, whether with many words, sitting silently, a look or glance of faith in the Lord’s direction, or on our faces on the floor, bawling into the carpet.

Though we have virtually perfected our horizontal conversations, we have seriously failed in our Vertical one. This spirit-converse can be found only when one retreats to that quiet place to listen for the intimate whisperings the Holy Spirit brings us from our Beloved Bridegroom.

David said of being in the Lord’s house, as only The Message can state it, “That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, the perfect getaway far from the buzz of traffic.” (Ps. 27:4) The frazzled racket of the world has deafened our ears to the whispers of heaven. If we don’t silence all the cacophony, we will never hear the voice of the Lord.

How important is prayer to us? “One day Jesus told His disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must keep praying until the answer comes.” (Luke 18:1 TLB)

~~Lord, may I sit at Your precious feet just to be with You and learn of You. Give me the strength to wait the timing of your answers.~~

Today, we are back to our series in Romans. I hope you are enjoying the different flavors that all my sweet cyber-friends have added to the wonderful broth of these scriptures.

Today’s verse is Romans 12:12c…“continuing steadfastly in prayer.” (NKJV) Or as The Message states it, “Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.” This one is written by K. M. (Katie) Weiland. If you enjoy Katie’s contribution, hop on over to her site Wordplay.

Continuing—and Failing—in Prayer

Romans 12:12c encourages us to continue steadfastly in prayer, but “steadfast” is something we most decidedly are not. We pray when we feel like it, we pray when we want something, we pray when we’re in trouble.

The rest of the time, we’re lucky if we remember to give the Lord a nod and wink as we rise from our beds to face another morning. What we often fail to realize is that in neglecting prayer, we not only neglect our Lord, we also turn our backs on the blessings He wants to share with us.

I don’t like winter. The Midwestern cold gets in my bones and the gray days weigh down my spirits. So, I wait with longing for the cold months to end and the spring sun to warm my body and soul. Every morning in March and April, I sit in bed, my Bible in my lap, and listen for the golden voice of the first meadowlark, that sure harbinger of a Nebraska spring.

This year, the meadowlark was a harbinger of more than just warm weather; it was a reminder of the blessings of steadfast prayer. One morning, I was sitting in bed, mumbling my way around a prayer. The day before, I had fallen into an old pit of sin, one I’d repented of and sworn off many times before. That morning, I felt full of shame as I faced the realization of my failure.

I couldn’t go on like this. Willfully sinning, repenting, sinning. How could God forgive me—again? Would He blot out my sin, even though I had rebelliously thrown it in His face once again? Or would He now cast me aside? Would He bring the thunder and lightning and the punishment I so rightly deserved? All the little blessings I didn’t deserve—not to mention the larger ones—would the God of justice not take them from me now?

As I pondered my weakness—my complete lack of steadfastness—my prayer grew. Forgive me. Cleanse me. Make me steadfast in prayer that I might be steadfast in life.

I didn’t expect an answer. I was content to know that He had heard me and that He would work His will in my life, even if that will meant the punishments I undoubtedly deserved. But then, I heard it.

Outside my window, for the first time that spring, a meadowlark trilled.

Was not this one of those little blessings I craved but couldn’t deserve because of my lack of steadfastness? Was not this the voice of the God of mercy, assuring me of His love and His grace and forgiveness? I’m unworthy of even one song from a meadowlark. But, in His infinite love, God gives me not only that, but life and life again. And again. And again. And again.

He tells us to be steadfast, but He knows we’ll falter. And every time we stray, every time our faith weakens, and our prayers trickle into flippancy and impatience, He brings us back to a solid foothold in His mercy and His forgiveness.

And every time He does, He gives us the opportunity to grow in Him and to take one more step up the ladder in learning how to address Him in the kind of steadfast prayer He deserves from us.

***Well, I guess this may become my annual birthday post. To commemorate this occasion, I am giving away $100. If you would like for your name to be put in the pot for the drawing, leave a comment at the end of this post or in the comment box in the sidebar. May you have a safe and fun holiday weekend!***

As I worked on what would be my next post, for some reason, which I’m sure was the Lord, a detour sign raised up and lead my thoughts to birthdays. Not only is it our country’s birthday on July 4, but it is my birthday on July 5.

My birthday, I can forget. Our country’s birthday, I cannot forget.

I thought about…celebrating our country’s birth day. I know there will be numerous blog posts for this occasion, but, as I thought back over the years, great memories came flooding back.

I thought about…when my parents were alive. They belonged to several groups of friends, but one group in particular had been friends since before World War II began. Most of the men joined some branch of the services. My dad joined the Navy and that is where he met my mother. Dad played the trombone for the Navy band and Mom was a secretary.

This group of friends always gathered for special occasions and July 4th was no exception. After several years of it being held at different homes, it finally settled on my parents to hold the celebration at their home.

This was usually a huge gathering of families with some having four generations attend. My mother loved to go all out with the decorations for the tables. Red and white checked tablecloths, blue napkins, flags, flowers…everything red, white, and blue. One of the men, whose birthday was on the 4th, always shared a large cake with me. He’s no longer with us either.

I think about…the year this country celebrated the great bicentennial and watching on the television the awesome festivities, which included an international fleet of tall ships in New York City’s harbor and the beautiful array of fireworks over the Statue of Liberty.

A wave of patriotism and nostalgia swept over the nation. People decorated practically everything from the front doors of their homes or businesses to their mailboxes and even fire hydrants.

Flags hung everywhere or were painted on. Trains were painted in stripes of red, white, and blue. NASA painted the flag and the bicentennial symbol on the side of its vehicle assembly building.

Commercial products by the score displayed packaging of red, white, and blue. Many paid a fee to use the trademarked bicentennial star. Some the TV coverage lasted for fourteen hours. Disney went all out, even changing the theme of their nighttime parade.

I remember all the celebration but I don’t remember the stories of the pilgrims, the ones who started it all. If there were stories, they didn’t stick in my memory.

So, I thought about…the reason that the pilgrims embarked on such a dangerous journey to leave their home to settle in some strange land.

The pilgrims were a religious group who left England as they had been persecuted by the Church of England. As they were about to set sail for Holland, John Robinson, as the pastor of their church who was staying behind, preached before they left on Ezra 8:21. Ezra 8:21-22 says, “When I declared a fast while we were at the Ahava River so that we would humble ourselves before our God; and we prayed that He would give us a good journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled.” (TLB)

As they also found their religious liberty curtailed in Holland, they decided to go back to England and set out for a New England. They left Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620, sailing for a new world of promise.

Aboard ship, they found that the sailors resented their daily prayers, hymns, and scripture reading sessions, but, in the end, the sailors admitted that the pilgrims were strong and brave.

When they disembarked and stepped on shore at Plymouth Rock, they knelt in prayer and held a prayer service. Prayer was the basis for all they had done and all they would do.

I then thought about…those prayers of the pilgrims that undergirded the foundation of this nation and brought about the reason for celebrating Independence Day.

I thought about…the great freedom of religion this country has enjoyed through the efforts and courage of those 102 people. However, are our rights and privileges as Christians in this nation being eroded? Have prayers for this country ceased?

I thought about…praying as the first settlers did. Do we bend our knees for our country? Do we pray for our President and all who are in authority? Do we pray as Paul instructed Timothy, “Pray much for others; plead for God’s mercy upon them; give thanks for all He is going to do for them. Pray in this way for kings and all others who are in authority over us, or are in places of high responsibility, so that we can live in peace and quietness, spending our time in godly living and thinking much about the Lord” (1 Tim 2:1-2 TLB)?

I thought about…all the precious souls who put their lives on the line for this country that we might enjoy the freedoms and privileges that we do. God bless all of you!

I hope you will watch this wonderful video of Red Skelton and his pledge of allegiance…


Happy Birthday, USA!

~~Happy Independence Day, everyone!~~

Today, I bring you my special guest poster, Deborah McCarragher…

I was listening to a Christian radio program while driving home the other day, and started thinking about how I often struggle with God over things in prayer. Sometimes that can be a good thing!

Many of us know the story of Jacob in Genesis chapter 32. Jacob was returning to his homeland in Canaan with his two wives, Rachel and Leah. On the way, he sent messengers to his brother Esau (who dwelt in Edom) to appease him.

However, Jacob’s servants told him that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men. Jacob was distressed and divided his people, flocks, and herd into two companies. He begged God to intervene and protect him from harm. He reminded God of His promise to bless him and make his descendants innumerable.

During the night, he took his two wives, his servants, and his sons and crossed over the river Jabbok. When he was alone, a Man (Jesus) wrestled with him all night until daybreak. Jacob struggled with the Lord, and that day he saw God face to face.

Jacob wanted God’s blessing, but God was letting him struggle that he might truly see who he was in God’s sight. Jacob had been a deceiver and scoundrel much of his life. God asked him, “What is your name?” – not because He didn’t know it, but because Jacob needed to see himself as God saw him. The struggle produced a hip out of socket and a limp for the rest of his natural life.

Sometimes, God allows us to struggle with Him in prayer, and we are often crippled for our own good. Spiritually speaking, our view of ourselves and our problems need to be bent and dislocated in order for our struggling to cease. Our pride and bad judgment can cause us to live a life that distorts what God has planned for us. He desires for us to “walk a different way” after we have wrestled with Him and He has prevailed.

Submitting to God’s plans often involves wrestling, as is evidenced with some of the Bible’s great heroes. Abraham’s faith was tested when he dialoged with God about the wickedness in Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18).

Moses pleaded with God on behalf of Israel when they began worshipping a golden calf and foreign gods. He reminded God of His promises to His chosen people (Exodus 32).

We read in I Kings 19 about Elijah and his struggle with depression. After God’s miraculous display of His power on Mount Carmel, Elijah withdrew into the desert to die. He prayed, slept, and was nourished by the Lord Himself. Then while hiding in a cave, he had a pity party as God revealed Himself to him in a small, still voice.

David was alone and living on the run during his darkest days. He lamented to God in many of the Psalms including 35, 55, 56, 57, and 59. He despaired of his life and longed for the peace of death. Praying to his God seemed to be a lesson in futility.

The apostle Paul tells believers in Romans 15:30 to “strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.” In Colossians 4:2, Paul admonishes the church to “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving,” and in 4:12, he tells them that Epaphras, one of their fellow servants, “always labors fervently for them in prayer.”

Prayer is often the anguish of the soul in the presence of God. Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

The bottom line is that prayer is often engaging and deliberate. It’s emotionally draining and often exhausting. It’s exhilarating and soul-satisfying as we wrestle with a Holy God who sees our frailties and embraces our humble efforts.

What a mighty God we serve…

You can visit Deborah on her blog God Mission Possible.

Deborah's book Mission Possible is available at Alabaster Box Publishing.

Peace….sometimes elusive, isn’t it?

The Bible says Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, always, and He is Jehovah-shalom, the Lord our peace.

At the Last Supper, in preparing the disciples for His death and departure, Immanuel spoke many things to them, and said this, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27 NKJV)

However, our Immanuel peace is sometimes in a state of flux, sometimes disintegrating. When chores, church, family, and all the rest, bulge our itineraries, they hold us captive and our prayer time usually suffers, slipping into oblivion. We end up with the “captivity of activity.”

Martha received Jesus into her home, yet, she busied herself with other things rather than sit at His feet. Jesus scolded her, “You are anxious and troubled about many things.” (Luke 10:41 NKJV) Can’t you see Him shaking His head and, in essence, saying, “Martha, Martha, you’re distracted with too many anxieties and cares; you have too much going on in your head; there’s a crowd in there making an uproar, disturbing your peace.”

When we are busied with the cares and anxieties of life, making no time for sitting at the feet of our most Beloved for intimate conversations, we relegate Him to a waiting room. Our peace is then at risk.

How often do you ignore Jesus’ command to “not worry about your life” (Matt. 6:25a NIV)? It would be to our advantage to heed Paul’s word, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” (Phil. 4:6a TLB) The Message says it this way, “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayer, letting God know your concerns.”

The lack of worry and anxiety sabotaging our faith and cluttering our prayers has a promise, as Paul tells us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7 NLT)

What rolls around in your head making an uproar, disturbing your peace? Are you sitting at the Lord’s feet or have you put Him on a waiting list?

I pray the same for all of you what Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thess. 3:16 NKJV)

Immanuel, God with us, Jehovah-shalom, the Lord our peace, always.

Last time, we looked at a condensed explanation of covenant. Without it, you would not have the appreciation for what I am about to tell you. (If you haven’t read it, you might want to read it first. You can click on it here.)

A covenant partner was one who was considered as a member of the family. Most covenants consisted of a full-coverage policy that blanketed not only the person with whom covenant was made but also the person’s entire family. Therefore, each would make a vow to take care of his covenant partner and his family if anything should happen to him.

Only death could part the two, as Ruth said to Naomi, “The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me,” (Ruth 1:17 NKJV). That was covenant language.

Several years ago, when my sister-in-law Vicki was having some difficulties in her life, the Lord led me to do something I had never done before, or since, nor had I ever heard of anyone else doing it. He told me to give her one of my belts.

As I did, I told her that, when she underwent any difficult situation, she should wear it, and I would pray for her. She has worn it on several occasions…under her blouse though. It wasn’t her color!

As I lost the final draft of the note I gave her with the belt, this is basically what I wrote:

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me…”

“…for (His) strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.”

Because we have taken on the Lord’s Name together, we have an eternal covenant with Him and each other. The belt was a symbol of a man’s strength. Therefore, the exchange of belts was symbolic of giving your covenant partner your strength.

So, when your human strength falters, and you need someone to come alongside you from whom you can draw strength, I will be there. My belt is yours.”

I should have added Ruth’s sentiment to Naomi, “Don’t ask me to leave you! Let me go with you. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and that is where I will be buried. May the LORD’s worst punishment come upon me if I let anything but death separate me from you!” (Ruth 1:16-17 NLT)

As Jesus knew the meaning of giving up of one’s life for another, His words echo throughout the halls of eternity, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends,” (John 15:13 NKJV).

A friend will readily exchange his life for his covenant partner. I would lay down my life, if necessary, to save my covenant belt partner, Vicki.

Vicki later returned the kindness, giving me one of her belts. So we made the exchange, just as David and Jonathan did. I also nicknamed her David, and I am Jonathan.

As we have seen, covenant is a very special bond between two partners, whether between you and the Lord or you and another. When a difficult time surrounds a very special friend or relative of yours, or even when all is well, you may want to do this for her or him, giving that person the comfort of knowing that someone will come alongside to lift her or him up in prayer.

This exchange works two ways…one, the owner of another’s belt may wear it knowing that the other person is there beside him/her, interceding for him/her and offering encouragement and strength; two, the other can wear the belt of the one who is in need of prayer to intercede for that one.

Is there someone with whom you can exchange the gift of a covenant belt and share strength and defense, standing before the Lord and interceding for each other?

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

10) Intimacy

Well, we come to the end of our I’s, and I saved the best one for last, at least, I think it’s the best one. Intimacy.

What is intimacy? We think we know. Let’s check and see.

The main definitions of ‘intimacy’ mean a close, familiar, and usually affectionate or loving personal relationship with another person or group, an act or expression serving as a token of familiarity, affection, or the like, the quality of being comfortable, warm, or familiar, and privacy especially as suitable to the telling of a secret.

Ooo…don’t you love that?

According to all our words on prayer…

* intercede
* invade
* inspire
* influence
* instruction
* invest
* increase
* impact
* imbue

…none of them will be effective if we do not have an intimate relationship with the Lord.

Though we have virtually perfected our horizontal conversations, we have seriously failed in our Vertical one. Prayer is the development of our personal relationship with the Lord, as our intimate friend.

This spirit-converse can be found only when one retreats to that quiet place, to listen for the intimate whisperings of our precious Lord.

The intimacy of prayer is like a child or grandchild crawling up in your lap just to snuggle with you because he or she loves you. Do you ever crawl up in the Father’s lap just to love on Him? He delights in that, just as you do.

Do you make time to experience this cherished alone-time with the Lord? Or do you merely rush in, lay out your plans and wishes, and rush out again?

No great soul ever grew in intimacy with the Lord on the streets of a busy life, only in the solitude of prayer. When busyness keeps us from hearing the whispers of our Beloved and keeps us too distracted to feel the comfort of His arms and the peace of His words, we will never discover what Mary did as she sat as His feet.

We need to be alone with God, where no outcries of earth intrude, where no ghosts of years past interrupt, where no outside opinions interfere, where no urgency of decisions impede.

Is intimacy with the Lord missing in your life? If you want to know the Lord and grow the fruit of spiritual graces, spend time in His presence, for only then will deep affection blossom, resulting in a richer relationship with Him.

Speaking of prayer, Martin Luther said “to be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”

If I could inject anything into your heart about prayer, it would be this: be still in His presence and listen, guard your heart against intruders, have the right attitude by not being in fear or doubt, or being timid, whiney, or hypocritical, do not take it for granted or leave it out of your daily schedule, claim your inherited rights and privileges in Christ and the promises of the Word, pray for all men, pray for Israel, rely on the Holy Spirit, fast when necessary, pray according to God’s Word and His will, pray in faith, trust, confidence, patience, boldness, and expectation, all in the Name of Jesus, and until you have peace, praising and giving thanks to God at all times.

~~Blessings of intimacy, Lynn~~

8) Impact

According to the English dictionaries, some of the meanings of the word ‘impact’ say the effect of one thing on another, the power of making a strong, immediate impression, bear on, touch on, influence, effect, the force exerted by a new idea, concept, technology, or ideology, to fill up, or alter.

Can all this be applied to our prayer times? Do our prayers have…

1) an impact on us?
2) an impact on our family, others, or the world?

1) …on us? If our intimate conversations with the Lord do not impact us in some way…touching, influencing, effecting us…are we making the most of our prayer times?

* Do we allow God’s Word to alter us?
* Do we allow the Lord to fill us with His purpose, His vision, His heart?
* Do we sit still long enough to allow His presence to make an impression on us, influencing the way we think and ultimately changing the way we speak and act?

The Bible tells us to “be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom. 12:2 Amp)

‘Renew’ defined, by Vine’s Expository Dictionary, says it is “the adjustment of the moral and spiritual vision and thinking to the mind of God, which is designed to have a transforming effect upon the life.” There’s that impact.

Are our morals and spiritual thinking impacted and renewed as we sit at the foot of the throne?

As new creations, “what counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people.” (Gal. 6:15 TLB)

2) …on our family, others, or the world? If our intimate conversations with the Lord do not impact us, how then do we think outside of ourselves and plea for others, thus impacting their lives?

Sometimes God calls on us to pray for a certain person or situation even when we have no knowledge of the whys or what-fors. It may be to save someone from a disastrous circumstance, to give them needed comfort, or to right some wrong. The Spirit leads us in those times to be an intercessor.

Do we obey the Spirit’s call? Do we also make it a regular habit to pray for those other than our family members? Do we have a worldview, praying around the world to save the oppressed, the hungry, the poor, the naked, the hurting, the lost?

Jesus said, “Look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” (John 4:35b NIV) Therefore, we pray that the Lord will send someone to cross the path of the lost, for scripture says we are to “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matt. 9:38 NKJV)

God “doesn’t want anyone lost.” (2 Peter 3:9b Msg) He desires all mankind to recognize Him as the Good Shepherd of the sheep. Of those who do not yet acknowledge Him as the Shepherd, He agonizes that they are lost without Him. His family flock is incomplete without them.

Just while you are reading this, hoards of lost sheep have wandered off the path and have fallen off the precipice of life. Is there a lost sheep you can rescue from falling into the great abyss of eternal death?

Is your life impacted by those intimate words shared with the Lord in your prayer times? Are you influenced, transformed, and renewed enough to impact the lives of others with your prayers?

May your prayer times transform you and, in turn, impact the lives of others for the Kingdom of God!

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

7) Increase

The English dictionaries define ‘increase’ as to make greater as in number, size, strength, extent, capacity, scope, or quality, augment, add to, multiply, to reproduce, intensify, or enlarge.

Since this is on prayer, two things come to mind when I think of increase. Well, more than two, but we’ll just look at two.

Our prayers…

* increase our faith

First of all, faith and prayer must go hand in hand. If we believe and have confidence in God, then we pray to Him.

Prayer without faith degenerates into ineffective utterances. What’s the point of praying if we have no faith? A prayer breathed in faith unfurls its fragrance at the Father’s feet. Spurgeon said, “Prayer cannot draw down answers from God’s throne except it be the earnest prayer of the man who believes.”

Through our intimate conversations with the Father, He reveals Himself and His truths to us, communicating His heart to us as we listen to Him, which then increases our faith.

However, if we do not mix faith with God’s Word, His promises, and the things He whispers to our hearts, then, we resemble the Israelites, for “the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” (Heb. 4:2b NKJV)

Sometimes a promise of God stalls in its appearance. What happens when inactivity occurs, when a promise seems to drift farther and farther away, when circumstances linger incessantly and patience wears thin? Are we more concerned about the problem or God’s promise? What happens to our faith? Does it increase or decrease?

God’s purpose in inspiring the writing of His Word was to “give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for His promises,” (Rom. 15:4b NLT) to increase our faith that we “do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Heb. 6:12 NKJV)

James said, “If you don’t ask with faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer.” (James 1:7 TLB)

Our waiting may seem unproductive, yet, “we must keep trusting God for something that hasn’t happened yet, it teaches us to wait patiently and confidently.” (Rom. 8:25 TLB)

If our prayers increase our faith, then they also…

* magnify the Lord

To increase or enlarge also means to magnify, as to increase in actual size, exaggerate, amplify, and intensify. ‘Magnify’ is also defined as to extol, praise, glorify, to make seem more important, and so on.

The disciple John said it most succinctly, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30 NKJV)

How do we do that? As we release ourselves to the Lord for His total control, He increases and we decrease.

As the definition also says, it means to magnify. So we increase or magnify the Lord in our prayers. How do we do that? I don’t think we fully understand what magnifying the Lord means.

To extol or praise highly and exalt God enlarges His image, His power, His love, all His characteristics, intensifying them more than our circumstances or our list of wants.

If we constantly boo-hoo our circumstances or our unfulfilled desires more than praising God, we magnify our circumstances and lack above God’s character and power. David said, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” (Ps. 69:30 NKJV)

Prayer is not complete without praise and thanksgiving. Paul said, “Always maintain the habit of prayer; be both alert and thankful as you pray.” (Col. 4:2 Phillips)

Therefore, do we still raise our hands in praise and worship when in painful despair? Do we still fall on our knees in His presence and exalt His name when in a heart-wrenching trial?

God is always faithful to the promises in His Word, for the One Who breathes His promises into our hearts will not fail to manifest them, when our faith is increased to obey His Word and we magnify His presence and His name above all else.

~~Magnifying the Lord with you, Lynn~~

6) Invest

Invest. A word with a multitude of definitions, including to use, give, or devote (time, talent, etc.) as for a purpose or to achieve something, to clothe, attire, or dress, to cover, adorn, or envelop, to furnish with power, authority, or rank, or to endow or infuse with a quality or characteristic.

I find this very interesting. This is so saturated with applications. Let’s go over it again and make a list…

1) use, give, or devote time, talent, etc. as for a purpose or to achieve something
2) clothe, attire, dress
3) cover, adorn, envelop
4) furnish with power, authority, rank
5) endow or infuse with a quality or characteristic

Wow! Do you see the spiritual wealth in this?

Since this series is on prayer, what happens when we apply these to prayer?

First, do we invest part of our time in prayer to take advantage of all this, of all that God has in store for us? Investing time in prayer has a myriad of purposes. Foremost, prayer is a private, exclusive audience with the Creator of heaven, in which we spend time in His presence to worship Him and to love Him.

If we do not take time for prayer, our lives will be powerless and prosperless in all areas.

When we devote time in prayer, don’t we want to achieve the other things listed?

Such as having God…

* clothe us with salvation
* array us with righteousness and cover us with protection
* supply us with power and authority through the name of Jesus
* infuse us with the qualities and characteristics of Jesus, transforming us into His image and endowing us with the Holy Spirit

What do you think is God’s highest quality or characteristic that He desires to instill in us? Love? Peace? Justice? Joy? This is just my opinion but I think God’s highest characteristic is holiness with all else flowing from it.

Did you know the Word says we have been “called with a holy calling” (2 Tim. 1:9b)? By definition, we are called, bid by name, with a holy invitation, and we are “to walk worthy of the calling with which [we] were called.” (Eph. 4:1 NKJV)

As the disciple Peter said, “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16 NKJV)

Do we allow the Lord to transform us into His holy image? If we don’t invest time in prayer and in the Word, to become like Jesus, we cannot become holy, because we’ll never know what holiness looks like.

The writer of Hebrews wrote, “Pursue…holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (Heb. 12:14 NKJV)

If we desire to “see” the Lord, to meet with Him in prayer, we must come before the Throne of the Father cleansed of all unholiness, asking forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus.

What do you pursue in prayer? Just to hand God your list of wants? God knows your prayer list. You can make your requests of Him but He desires more than anything else your attention, your worship, and your companionship.

He longs to share with you His heart’s desires for you, your family, your friends, your world. He longs to accomplish that above list, and more, in you and for you.

If your heart’s desire is to know the Lord and to be clothed, arrayed, covered, supplied with all God offers, and to be infused with holiness, spend time in His presence, for only then will deep affection blossom, resulting in a richer relationship with Him.

May all your prayer pursuits be holy ones.

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

5) Instruction

Do we seek the Lord’s presents or His presence? Do we follow after Jesus merely seeking something from Him as the multitudes did? Or do we lean upon His breast as John the beloved did, just to be near Him, to hear His precious heart beat? Or do we sit at His feet as Mary did, just to serve Him in worship by pouring out our thanks and our tears as fragrant oil upon His body?

Much of the time when we pray, we rush into the Throne Room handing God a list of the things we want or think we need. We don’t stay long enough or sit still long enough to listen to what He has to say. God does not have carryout service like a drive-through Taco Bell, and we don’t get to return what we receive if it isn’t prepared and served to us the way we want it or as fast as we like it.

To ready ourselves for the day, we eat, shower, get dressed, brush our teeth, even read the newspaper or watch the news on TV, but then we leave out the most important part of the day: our fellowship with the Lord.

Do you spend time with the Love of your life in the morning? God will not jerk you out of bed in the morning to get you to pray. It’s up to you. Don’t steal the day out of His hands. Give Him time to speak to you. He is the only One Who can make the day go as it should. He waits for you to join Him in that inner holy of holies.

Solomon said, “Through lowering of hands, the house leaks.” (Eccl. 10:18b Masoretic Text) Though he was referring to being physically lazy, this same slackness applies to our spiritual house as well, for if through negligence or idleness we lower our hands from lack of prayer and praise, then, according to definition, the house begins to weep.

If you’ve been reading along in this series, you saw before that God inspired men to write His Word. I used the familiar scripture, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16 NKJV)

According to some of the definitions of the key words in this verse, God’s inspired Word is profitable or useful for learning, conviction of sin, correction of error, restoration or bringing to an upright state again, and improvement.

‘Instruction’ means to give or impart knowledge, for training, disciplinary correction, chastening, nurturing, and instruction which aims at the increase of virtue.

If laziness strikes, causing our hands to lower to do all the things listed on our schedules rather than gently nestling the Word in our hands for prayer, what have we gained?
If God’s Word is to bring about the learning of His heart’s desire for us, conviction, correction, restoration, and improvement in our lives, and if we do not read and study it, how will God’s ultimate purpose for our lives be fulfilled?

As I said in my last post, the Word is the divine influence exerted upon the spirit and heart of man for the enhancement of righteousness, as verse 17 adds, “…that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

How can the seed of the Word accomplish a transformation in our lives if there is no planting? How will it furnish us completely, equipping us for every good work, bringing a harvest?

Do you allow time for God to speak to you, to give you instruction for righteousness, to comfort you, to fill you with His presence?

When the swelling of our calendars and our self-sufficiency keep us from spending enough time in the inner recesses of our prayer closet, nothing we claim in God’s Word will be accomplished.

The Still Small Voice has no destination if there is no listening ear. If we do not listen, scripture says, “God has no use for the prayers of the people who won’t listen to Him.” (Prov. 28:9 Msg) Do you blame Him? He says, “Oh, that My people would listen to Me.” (Ps. 81:13a NKJV)

It only costs us our time to listen but it costs us our quality of life not to listen!

Companionship with the Lord with its soul-rest, with its comfort, with its instruction, is too often sacrificed for petition.

May you sit adoringly at His feet to be instructed in His Word.

~~Blessings, Lynn~~

4) Influence

They never locked their back door, or front door for that matter. Whenever you wanted, you could enter Roy and Leah’s house and you would be welcomed with open arms.

Even if you were a stranger, their greeting would be, “Come on in and sit a spell. Glad to see ya. Who sent ya? Anyone we know?”

“Sure. Your son Lee sent me. I’m down on my luck and he said you might be able to help me,” would be a typical response.

Had a need? They would do their best to meet it, giving you of what they had in order to ease your suffering. It was theirs to share, not to hoard it for themselves. It didn’t matter what status you held in life; you would be well received. Your influence on them was merely that God loved you, no matter who you were, so they loved you also and welcomed you into their home. They accepted you in the name of their son, Lee.

Our heavenly Father’s attitude toward us is the same. Paul told the Ephesians that, in Jesus, “we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.” (Eph. 3:12 NKJV) ‘Access’ in the Greek means admission, approach, or a leading or bringing into the presence of.

You are no stranger to the Father. He loves you and always readily welcomes you into His House…in the Name of His Son, Jesus. Your influence on heaven’s gate is the Name that turns those hinges, swinging wide that door to the Throne Room and bringing you into the presence of the Father.

We come before the Father to make our petitions of Him in the Name of Jesus. Our requests can even be encapsulated into a one-word prayer, which is prayed so often with varying intensity: Jesus!

Because of that Name, you have heavenly influence.

~~Use your influence…Lynn~~

We return to our prayer series...

3) Inspire

What does ‘inspire’ have to do with prayer? Let’s see…

The dictionaries describe ‘inspire’ as to fill with an exalting or quickening influence, to impel, arouse, or produce a thought or feeling, to communicate, suggest, guide, or control by a divine or supernatural influence, to stimulate or impel as to some creative or effective effort, and so on. The archaic definition means to infuse life by breathing, to breathe into or upon, or to inhale.

In the Old Testament, several scriptures contain the word ‘inspiration’ as the form of ‘inspire.’ The Hebrew word is ‘neshamah’ and means the breath of God or man, the spirit of man, divine inspiration, intellect, and so on.

This word is used in Genesis 2:7 (NKJV) this way, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” And Job 32:8 says, “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” (KJV)

In the New Testament, the Greek word for ‘inspiration’ is theopneustos, which means God breathed or divinely breathed in.

This word is used only once in the NT in 2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV), “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” So, it is divine influence exerted upon the spirit and heart of man for the enhancement of righteousness.

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (NIV) Just as God’s Word gave life to the universe and mankind in the beginning, His voice still resonates with His creation and His Word still gives life. Jesus is the Word of God; He is “the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1) The disciple John recorded Jesus’ words in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit that makes alive…The words which I speak to you are spirit and are life.” (Received Greek Text)

The writer of Hebrews tells us that this inspired “word of God is living, and powerfully working, and sharper than every two-edged sword.” (Heb. 4:12 RGT) The Bible in Basic English interprets this verse this way, “The word of God is living and full of living power.” The Amplified says, “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective].”

God’s Word is alive and powerful. Not ordinary words, His words are unseen, living entities, actually working energy and living matter of the eternal kind. Right before his death, Moses said of God’s commands, “These instructions are not empty words - they are your life!” (Deut. 32:47a NLT)

So what does this have to do with prayer? If God breathed His inspiration into His Word, infusing it with life and power, then we need to allow Him, in our quiet times, to breathe it into our souls, our minds, our hearts, to penetrate the very depths of our spirits that we might receive all its benefits for our spiritual growth and learning to pray in accordance with it.

The Word is the essence and inspiration of your life. Do you read your Bible in your prayer times? If not, oh, my friend, you are missing so much of what God desires to instill in you. He inspired His Word just for you. Let it be the divine guide in your prayers.

~~Be blessed and be inspired, Lynn~~

Here’s the second “I” of prayer…

Invade

First, let’s see what ‘invade’ means. Although some of the dictionaries’ definitions of the word ‘invade’ have a very negative connotation, some of the other definitions mean to enter as if to take possession, to permeate or penetrate, descend upon, go in, access, or to crowd into.

When we think of prayer, we must possess a certain characteristic to invade or crowd into the God’s throne room. What do you think it is? It’s boldness!

‘Boldness’ defined in Greek means all unreservedness in speech, frankness, confidence, assurance, or the absence of fear in speaking boldly.

As children of God, we have permission to access our heavenly Father’s presence in boldness and without fear or rejection to make our requests of Him. Cringing is not necessary for God accepts us as we are and does not sit on His throne with a rolled up newspaper waiting to swat us. He welcomes us with a knowing smile, a loving heart, and open arms.

Scripture says…

* “Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace,” (Heb. 4:16a AMP)
* for “We can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus,” (Heb. 10:1 NLT)
* “in Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear),” (Eph. 3:12 AMP)
* for it is the righteous who “are bold as a lion.” (Prov. 28:1 NKJV)

Down through the ages, God’s righteous people have gone before Him in boldness. The disciple John said, “Dear friends, if our conscience is clear, we can come to God with bold confidence.” (1 John 3:21 NLT)

With this bold confidence, we are able to pray the kind of prayers James talked about, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:15 NKJV) The Greek translation says, “The prayer of a righteous one has great strength, having been made effective.” It literally says, “Much strong a petition of one righteous being made effective.”

The Greek word for ‘avails,’ ‘strength,’ and ‘strong’ means to have or exercise power, prevail, be a force, capable of producing results, and so on.

The word for ‘effective’ and ‘fervent’ is the word ‘energeo,’ which means to show self to be active, operative, or efficient, be mighty in, work effectually, putting forth power, and so on.

In other words, of great strength, prevailing force, and capable of producing results is the petition of a righteous one, which is made active and operative, mighty in its working.

Those who prayed effective prayers prayed boldly because they expected God to reply. Joshua and Elijah are two examples.

When Joshua and his army faced the Amorite kings, the Lord told him not to fear the opposing armies for He had given Joshua victory over his enemy. Joshua prayed and the sun (and moon) stood still for twenty-four hours, giving Joshua time to defeat all his foes.

Elijah prayed that the rain would cease because of King Ahab’s allowance of prolific idolatry. God answered that prayer. Three and one half years later, after another confrontation with Ahab and his prophets of Baal, Elijah went to the top of Mount Carmel (meaning the fruitful or plentiful place) where he bowed down with his face between his knees and prayed again. From that fruitful place, he said he heard “the sound of abundance of rain,” (1 Kings 18:41 NKJV) even before a single cloud was seen or a drop of rain had fallen.

James reassures us, “Elijah was a man just like us.” (James 5:17a NIV) What an awesome thought! The same spiritual power available to those righteous ones of yesteryear, scripture says is within our reach today. Granted, not all prayers necessitate boldness, however, it is ours to use.

But do we pray with confidence and boldness? Do we truly invade the heavenlies in behalf of some request? Are we as bold as Joshua? Do we have a fruitful place like Elijah? Are our prayers effective, having force and producing results?

Worth thinking on, isn’t it?

I pray boldly that your prayers will become bolder, more effective, and more fervent every day as you build your confidence to enter in God’s throne room and present Him your requests.

~~Blessings to you and keep dancing, Lynn~~