Late last evening, I sat on my bed with my Bible to the right and a book I've been reading to the left. I could not muster the strength to open either. I was feeling weary and was not even sure I could find the strength to pray. I sat there in silence for quite some time. My eyes kept drifting to the book I'd been reading, Supernatural Communication, by Rachel Hickson. Finally, I knew I was supposed to pick it up. It was beckoning to me with a force that had to be from God.
And, here's what happened, I opened to the last place I had been, held there for me by my bookmark, and here's what I read:
"Have you ever been really weary, so tired that you feel you can't even find the strength to pray? In those time you can come and just lie in God's presence, saying, 'Lord, I'm beyond words. I haven't got any words to offer. But everything in me is calling out to You. I need You."
That's all it took. God had already made provision for my heart's cry and had orchestrated my life in such a way that I would read that page the EXACT moment I needed it!
Beyond Words! That's God . . .
Today's prayer: "God, thank you that last night I found you in the silence. Today, I thank you with words of gratitude and shouts of joy to my King!"
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Hung By Your Tongue
A valuable lesson: Only speak the things you want people to KNOW.
In your spiritual conflict with the enemy, don’t tell him everything. Don’t tell him where you are hurting. This is like a spy seeking top secret information of the enemy country in order to defeat them. So, do not tell the devil what is going on. He will not know unless you tell him. Satan cannot read your mind, unless you deal in ESP or telepathy. We see this in scripture as the devil was trying to kill Jesus as a young boy. Herod sent the three wise men to find Jesus, but the angel told them to go to their own country. Herod then began to kill all the boy babies under two years of age and the angel told Joseph to take Jesus into Egypt. Satan did not know that Jesus was in Egypt, or else he would have sought Him out there to kill Him. Satan could not find Jesus to kill him.
The Bible says that we are hid in Christ and the devil cannot find us, so he goes about like a roaring lion trying to get us to come out (say something) so he can tell where we are. But if you do not tell Satan what is going on, he will not know. Tell him what you want him to know, such as, “Jesus is Lord,” “I’ve got power,” “I’m an overcomer,” “I’m more than a conqueror,” “I’m healed, saved, and delivered out of darkness.”
We should not suspect that Satan knows everything, because he does not. God’s ways are spiritually discerned and Satan does not receive the things of God. If he could, he would have understood the prophecy of Elizabeth to Mary and the prophecy of Simeon and Anna in the temple over the baby Jesus in Luke 2:25-38. But he did not understand or perceive God’s plan of the Savior. He knew that God was doing something but couldn’t put his finger on it.
Do not fear Satan knowing your thoughts or plans, just tell him what he needs to know. You are in control with the correct use of your tongue. DO NOT BE HUNG BY YOUR TONGUE!
Excerpt by Francis P. Martin
In your spiritual conflict with the enemy, don’t tell him everything. Don’t tell him where you are hurting. This is like a spy seeking top secret information of the enemy country in order to defeat them. So, do not tell the devil what is going on. He will not know unless you tell him. Satan cannot read your mind, unless you deal in ESP or telepathy. We see this in scripture as the devil was trying to kill Jesus as a young boy. Herod sent the three wise men to find Jesus, but the angel told them to go to their own country. Herod then began to kill all the boy babies under two years of age and the angel told Joseph to take Jesus into Egypt. Satan did not know that Jesus was in Egypt, or else he would have sought Him out there to kill Him. Satan could not find Jesus to kill him.
The Bible says that we are hid in Christ and the devil cannot find us, so he goes about like a roaring lion trying to get us to come out (say something) so he can tell where we are. But if you do not tell Satan what is going on, he will not know. Tell him what you want him to know, such as, “Jesus is Lord,” “I’ve got power,” “I’m an overcomer,” “I’m more than a conqueror,” “I’m healed, saved, and delivered out of darkness.”
We should not suspect that Satan knows everything, because he does not. God’s ways are spiritually discerned and Satan does not receive the things of God. If he could, he would have understood the prophecy of Elizabeth to Mary and the prophecy of Simeon and Anna in the temple over the baby Jesus in Luke 2:25-38. But he did not understand or perceive God’s plan of the Savior. He knew that God was doing something but couldn’t put his finger on it.
Do not fear Satan knowing your thoughts or plans, just tell him what he needs to know. You are in control with the correct use of your tongue. DO NOT BE HUNG BY YOUR TONGUE!
Excerpt by Francis P. Martin
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Beauty of Simplicity
The first line of a great song by Telecast: "It's the beauty of simplicity that brings me down to my knees...."
I spent this past Monday in Amish country and was blessed and amazed at how God can use the simple things in life to speak the most profound things to my heart. As I sat in solitude and silence last evening I breathed in the silence. The crickets chirping outside the window were part of that silence and it was good. No tv's, no media, no radios, no cell phones ... for one brief moment I felt a connection with the Amish and somehow found God afresh in the midst of a world so full of overload.
Today's prayer: "God, help me return to the simple things. They truly bring me down to my knees."
I spent this past Monday in Amish country and was blessed and amazed at how God can use the simple things in life to speak the most profound things to my heart. As I sat in solitude and silence last evening I breathed in the silence. The crickets chirping outside the window were part of that silence and it was good. No tv's, no media, no radios, no cell phones ... for one brief moment I felt a connection with the Amish and somehow found God afresh in the midst of a world so full of overload.
Today's prayer: "God, help me return to the simple things. They truly bring me down to my knees."
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Ego
When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:12-14)
Esther was not appointed Queen to stroke her ego. Our destiny will always involve a group of people in one way or another. God appoints one but is after corporate results, no matter how large that is, whether 20 or 2000. Look around to see where God has placed you. What position or area of authority have you been given? It is not so you can become proud of your title, or level of authority, or stroke your ego. You've been put there "for such a time as this" to bring about change for a group of people.
Our problem is that our ego would rather be special than useful. We tend to think we've been granted special privilege, exalted to high and noble offices because God likes us so much. Well, I propose that we'd better be finding out why God has placed us there. There is work to do, so get to it. Stop stroking your ego and take a risk. Become useful. If you remain silent, relief and deliverance for God's people will come from another place and I guarantee your crown will drop to the ground in the process.
Today's prayer: "God, I'm looking around at where you've placed me. Help me to not remain silent. Give me the courage to drop the ego and become useful for you. Amen."
Esther was not appointed Queen to stroke her ego. Our destiny will always involve a group of people in one way or another. God appoints one but is after corporate results, no matter how large that is, whether 20 or 2000. Look around to see where God has placed you. What position or area of authority have you been given? It is not so you can become proud of your title, or level of authority, or stroke your ego. You've been put there "for such a time as this" to bring about change for a group of people.
Our problem is that our ego would rather be special than useful. We tend to think we've been granted special privilege, exalted to high and noble offices because God likes us so much. Well, I propose that we'd better be finding out why God has placed us there. There is work to do, so get to it. Stop stroking your ego and take a risk. Become useful. If you remain silent, relief and deliverance for God's people will come from another place and I guarantee your crown will drop to the ground in the process.
Today's prayer: "God, I'm looking around at where you've placed me. Help me to not remain silent. Give me the courage to drop the ego and become useful for you. Amen."
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