Words Given

I love hearing the voice of God. Learning more and more to wait upon His voice. Impatience doesn't cut it when you need to hear from Him.

This morning while driving back home after dropping my grand daughters off at school; I was thinking of how often times I become crabby. I don't like being that way. Getting upset with drivers that take chances drives me nuts. Why? So I started to pray. During that time, I said, "Lord, I want so much to be more Christ Like." I got the image that I often do of Christ walking among the people filled with the Fruit of the Spirit. How loving and caring He was. How gentle He was.

Then I said, "It's so hard being a human at times." He spoke to me and said, "It wasn't meant to be easy for you. You have to be strong and fight."

I contemplated those words then it hit me. If it was easy for us, we would become weak. If we become weak, we are sitting ducks for the enemy to come in and steal our souls. We were meant to be warriors, not weaklings letting life take control of us. We need to stand strong and fight for what we believe in.

How do we gather more strength? By reading the Word daily. Believing what it says, and speaking it out. By praying daily. If we ignore the message that He gave us through the prophets, if we don't pray, we are missing out on what God has planned for us. We can't grow in strength if we don't get filled with His Word. We can't expect help if we don't cry out to Him.

Yes, He knows our every need, but He wants us to have a close relationship with Him. He wants us to come to Him with our needs. Cry out to Jesus. Let Him know what is on your mind, what is on your heart and let Him be your guide.

I've learnt over and over again, that we "cannot" do it on our own. When we let God, life is so much better. When we try to do it on our own, life becomes a mess. I've caught myself thinking, "why is everything so chaotic again. Good grief, isn't this enough?" Then I stop and realize, I've been trying to do it all on my own. I've been trying to fix all the problems and not handing it up to Him. When I let go of the mess and say, "Lord, I thank You that You have a hand in this situation. I thank You that You are in control, for I am unable to deal with this," everything starts to settle down. The stress level lessens greatly, I can think again, and can function as one should.

So with all that said, I'll leave you with some Scriptures.

2 Chronicles 7:13-14: If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people, 14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Psalm 121: I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. 4 Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep. 5 The Lord protects you; the Lord is a shelter right by your side. 6 The sun will not strike you by day, or the moon by night. 7 The Lord will protect you from all harm; He will protect your life. 8 The Lord will protect your coming and going both now and forever.

Psalm 6:9-10: The Lord has heard my plea for help; the Lord accepts my prayer. 10 All my enemies will be ashamed and shake with terror; they will turn back and suddenly be disgraced.

Matthew 10: 32-39: "Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. 34 Don't assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to turn a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man's enemies will be the members of his household. 37 The person who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; the person who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And whoever doesn't take up hos cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. 39 Anyone finding his life will lose it, and anyone losing his life because of Me will find it.

Matthew 17:20-21: "Because of your little faith," He told them. "For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting."

Luke 11:1-4: He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples." 2 He said to them, "Whenever you pray, say:

Father,

Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come.

3 Give us this day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves also forgive everyone in dept to us.

And do not bring us into temptation. (CBSV) (Remember, Luke was different with the Lords prayer than Matthew.)

Luke 22:32: But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. and you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.

Romans 8:26: In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groaning's.

Romans 12:12: Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22: Rejoice always!

17 Pray constantly.

18 Given thanks in everything.

19 Don't stifle the Spirit.

20 Don't despise prophecies,

21 but test all things. Hold on to what is good.

22 Stay away from every form of evil.

Isaiah 56:7: I will bring them to My holy mountain and let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.

Philippians 4:6-7: Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Encouragement

Well there is no doubt that we are going through a recession. Many are feeling it. Many are suffering. This morning our gracious Father led me to Nehemiah. There we can find encouragement.
It all starts with Nehemiah getting word that Jerusalem's wall had been broken down and the gates burned down. Nehemiah prayed to God:
Nehemiah 1:4-11

4When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned
for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5 I said, Lord God of heaven, the great and awe inspiring God who
keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands,
6 let Your eyes be open and Your ears be attentive to hear Your
servant's prayer that I now pray to You day and night for Your servants, the
Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against You. Bot I and my
father's house have sinned.
7 We have acted corruptly
toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances You gave
Your servant Moses.
8 Please remember what You commanded
Your servant Moses: "[if] you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the
peoples.
9 But if you return to Me and carefully observe My commands, even
though your exiles were banished to the ends of the earth, I will gather them
from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have My name dwell."
10 They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed [them]
by Your great power and strong hand.
11 Please, Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of
Your servant and to that of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give
Your servants success today, and have compassion on him in the presence of this
man.
[At the time,] I was the kings cupbearer.

Nehemiah was then sent to Jerusalem and started the rebuilding of the walls and gates. When Sanballat got word of the walls being built, he mocked their attempts saying that there was no way the walls would stand, that the people were incapable of doing such a thing.
But the people of Jerusalem continued to build and finally built it up to half of what it had been.
Sanballat was furious and decided to attack the people and break the walls back down.
Nehemiah received word of this and set up guards at the gates to make sure that Sanballat could bring no harm to the people and the walls.
The prayed.
Nehemiah 4:10
In Judah it was said:
The strength of the laborer fails,
since there is so much rubble,
We will never be able
to rebuild the wall.

The building of the wall and gates continue on becoming stronger and connected. The men all worked with swords attached to their wastes. Some worked with one hand and held a spear in the other. These people never gave up and continued on despite the threat of Sanballat and his people.

Chapter 5 talks of social injustice to the people. Nehemiah talked to those that were charging the people interest and owned the people's lands. He asked them to stop charging interest and restore the homes and fields to the people that they belonged to. The group agreed, took an oath with the priests and shook on it with Nehemiah.

And it goes on with problems arising, but through faith, and never giving up; they still pulled through it all. We all need to be praying to the Lord our God for repair of our countries finances, that our government officials are righteous people and are led by the Lord not by the enemy. For we are under attack by the enemy. Should our government continue to take the path it is on, we will only dig ourselves a deeper whole.
Let's stand together and tell the enemy that it can not and will not be taken from us. Our God is much stronger than the enemy, and we shall prevail with the Lord in us. Remember when praying for someone outside of your family, friends, and church, you need to have at least one other person praying with you. Start prayer vigils where and when possible. Pray with your spouse, a friend, a family member, any one that is in agreement with you.

Just in Nehemiah, so shall we overcome. We must hold onto faith. Continue to pray. Continue to get in the Word daily. To believe in our Lord, and repent of all our sins. For when we do not repent, our prayers go unanswered.

You all are amazing brothers and sisters. I love you all so. May the Blessings of the Father be showered upon you. Love, Blessings, and Hugs to all! Have a beautiful, God filled week!