Convicted, humbled and repentant after reading / praying from the following article:
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/seven-ways-to-pray-on-election-day
Song: The Master's Calling, performed by Deborah Joy Winans (written by Thad Cockrell)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNBDCAeOiWs
... and with You, dear Lord, only because of Your great mercy and grace, my journey continues ...
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Monday, August 1, 2016
Beginning anew
Lamentations
3:22-25, AMP
22 It
is because of the Lord’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed,
Because His [tender] compassions never fail.
Because His [tender] compassions never fail.
23 They
are new every morning;
Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness.
Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness.
24 “The
Lord is my portion and my inheritance,” says my soul;
“Therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.”
“Therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.”
25 The
Lord is good to those who wait [confidently] for Him,
To those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word].
To those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word].
This is a new day in a new month with new mercies to begin again … a
day for us to rejoice and be glad for God’s goodness leading us - always in paths of righteousness for His
Name’s sake - to His gracious, glorious gift of repentance. Hallelujah!
… and
my journey with my graciously faithful and compassionate God continues …
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Praise (song) break
Psalm 91:1 (AMP)
[Security of the One Who Trusts
in the Lord. ] He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will remain
secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].
“Who can stop The LORD Almighty?” I stopped what I was doing, listening to these words being sung in my head, trying to remember the song to which they belonged.
Proverbs 16:3 (AMP)
Commit your works to the Lord
[submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance].
Proverbs 16:9 (AMP)
A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs
his steps and establishes them.
Proverbs 19:21 (AMP)
Many plans are in a man’s mind, But it is the Lord’s purpose for him
that will stand (be carried out).
Once again, I thanked God for the
time in which I live and the technology to which He has provided access, because Google
was available for me to search out this song. When
I found it under the title “Lion and The Lamb” by Bethel Music, I proceeded
to listen for a while on Youtube (there were multiple videos with different people
leading), affirming with the singers the sovereignty and omnipotence of
The LORD God Almighty.
Proverbs 25:2 (AMP)
It is the glory of God to conceal a
matter, But the glory of kings
is to search out a matter.
LORD, thank You for continuing to reveal Yourself … for Your mercy, love
and grace that continually invites us to turn to you, to acknowledge You, to
come ever closer to You in our everyday lives.
Amen. Selah.
… and my journey with my God, The
LORD Almighty, continues …
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Pentecost thoughts, 2016
Acts 2:1-4
(CJB, MSG, NKJV, VOICE)1When the Feast Day (festival) of Pentecost came 50 days after Passover, the believers were all gathered together with one accord in one place.
2And suddenly, without warning, there came a sound from heaven, as the roar of a rushing (violent) mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them.
4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues [in different languages], as the Spirit prompted and gave them utterance [enabled them to speak].
Acts 2:14-21 (NKJV, CJB, AMPC)
14 Then
Peter stood up with the Eleven and raised his voice to address them: “You
Judeans, and all of you staying here in Jerusalem! Let me tell you what this
means so that you will know and understand! Listen closely and
pay attention to what I have to say!
15 “These
people aren’t drunk, as you suppose — it’s only nine in the morning. 16 No,
this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel:17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out from My Spirit upon everyone (all flesh); your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Yes, even on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out from My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders and perform miracles in heaven above and signs in and on the earth beneath — blood and fire and thick vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and fearful and awesome Day of the Lord.
21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
_______________________________________
Thinking of Pentecost this past weekend, and I kept hearing William McDowell's voice in my head singing, "Come like a rushing wind, come like never before ..."
Also thinking about Ezekiel 37 verses:
Ezekiel 37:1-14 (AMP)
1 The hand
of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of
bones. 2 He
caused me to pass all around them, and behold, there were very many
[human bones] in the open valley; and lo, they were very dry.
3 And He said to me,
“Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and
say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’
5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will make breath enter you so that you
may come to life. 6 I
will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and I
will put breath in you so that you may come alive; and you will know that I am
the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as
I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a [thundering] noise, and
behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.
8 And I looked, and
behold, there were sinews on the bones, and flesh grew and skin covered them;
but there was no breath in them. 9 Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, son
of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain,
that they may live.”’” 10 So
I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came
to life and stood up on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11 Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are
the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our
hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says
the Lord God, “Behold, I will open your graves and make you come up out of your
graves, My people; and I will bring you [back home] to the land of Israel.
13 Then you will know
[with confidence] that I am the Lord, when I
have opened your graves and made you come up out of your graves, My people.
14 I will put My Spirit
in you and you will come to life, and I will place you in your own land. Then
you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and fulfilled it,”
says the Lord.’”
LORD, thank You that in Your faithfulness, You watch over Your Word to perform it, and that You fulfill what You have spoken. Amen. Selah.
... and my journey with my Faithful God continues ...
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Whole Heart
I was a little late for the corporate prayer meeting at
church, and a young man was already singing Hillsong’s “I Surrender”
as I walked in and took my seat. Several
things said and prayed made me think of renewed consecration, rededication and
recommitment (as well as surrender) to the Lord. At church service later that same day, a young lady shared
that the Lord had asked for her whole
heart, and as a result, at the Lord’s direction and in His timing, she was
being ”re-baptized” as a sign of her surrendering to Him anew - rededicating
and recommitting her life to the Lord Jesus Christ.
This made me think of the song “Heart and Soul” (Full Gospel
Baptist Fellowship Mass Choir, featuring BeBe Winans):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA_fma5MhEo
“Whole heart” … today’s Bible verse on my phone – Psalm 119:2
- happened to display in a translation (ASV) that used this same phrase:
Blessed
are they that keep his testimonies, That seek him with the whole heart.
… and God’s promises in Jeremiah 29:13 …
CJB When
you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly;
NET When you seek me in prayer and
worship, you will find me available to you. If you seek me with all your heart
and soul,
Looking at other “whole heart” Scriptures, I see Jeremiah 24:7
(AMP) …
I
will give them a heart to know
Me, [understanding fully] that I am the Lord; and
they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me
with their whole heart.
… and Jeremiah 32:27, 36-41 (NKJV) …
27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there
anything too hard for Me?
36 “Now therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say,
‘It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by
the famine, and by the pestilence’: 37 Behold,
I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger,
in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I
will cause them to dwell safely. 38 They
shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 then I will give them one heart and one way,
that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after
them. 40 And I will make an
everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good;
but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. 41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good,
and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My
soul.’
As I seek the LORD to know Him, and deep calls unto deep, think
I’ll look up other Scriptures about all of one’s heart, or an undivided,
perfect, and/or whole heart and see what (else) the Lord will speak …
… and my journey with my Lord continues …
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Changed by Love
Found myself agonizing over a situation – battling negative “coulda,
shoulda, woulda” thoughts with words of faith most of the night. Finally, “How Awesome is Our God” (by Israel
Houghton & New Breed, featuring Yolanda Adams) started playing in my mind’s
playlist, and I was able to find peace enough to drift off to sleep. The next day brought comfort as well as a
rebuke for my doubt, fear and unbelief, leading to repentance and renewed
praise to God for His tender grace shown in and through the strong correction. Soon
afterwards, news came that the situation I feared had not materialized. In His goodness, God had been merciful once
again.
Lamentations 3:22 (AMPC)
It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.
After running around with and for family most of the day, I was
just getting ready to rest a bit (finally!) when I received a text asking for
help – again. I must confess that at
that point I was not really in the mood (even as the thought came that "God
loves a cheerful giver” [2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV]), but I nevertheless sought the Lord as to
what He would have me to do. Sensing
that I was to allow the Lord to provide the requested assistance through me, I asked the Lord for His strength to do so. My attitude
changed as I remembered my gratitude for God’s gracious blessings in my life –
specifically with regard to the aforementioned situation. I thought of the verse, that to give to the
poor [needy] is to lend to the Lord (Proverbs 19:17) as I went on my way (and now, even thinking
of David’s statement in 2 Samuel 24:24 that he would not give to the Lord that which cost
him nothing).
Colossians 2:6-7 (AMP, NIV, AMPC, VOICE)
6 Therefore as you have received Christ
Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character
in the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], 7 having
been deeply rooted [in Him] and now being continually built up in
Him and [becoming increasingly more] established and strengthened in your faith, just as you were taught, and abounding
and overflowing in it with gratitude and thanksgiving.
Once the task was accomplished, I was almost back home when “How
He Loves” (by David Crowder Band) began playing on the radio. I received the song as a gift, signaling God’s
approval and acceptance of my actions. I
just smiled and thanked God again for the magnificent, penetrating brilliance
and pervasive nature of His love to change a heart – even my heart.
… and my journey with
my Lord continues …
Monday, February 1, 2016
Rescued!
"You came to my rescue, You came to my rescue ..."
Awakened today, hearing these lyrics (of the song as sung by Christy Nockels) ... and thought of Scripture I read the other day in a YouVersion Bible reading plan ...
Ephesians 1:3-14 VOICE
Awakened today, hearing these lyrics (of the song as sung by Christy Nockels) ... and thought of Scripture I read the other day in a YouVersion Bible reading plan ...
Ephesians 1:3-14 VOICE
3 Blessed
be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, who grants us every
spiritual blessing in these heavenly realms where we live in the
Anointed—not because of anything we have done, but because of what He has
done for us. 4 God chose us to be in a relationship with
Him even before He laid out plans for this world; He wanted us to live holy
lives characterized by love, free from sin, and blameless before Him. 5 He
destined us to be adopted as His children through the covenant Jesus the
Anointed inaugurated in His sacrificial life. This was His pleasure and
His will for us. 6 Ultimately God is the one worthy of
praise for showing us His grace; He is merciful and marvelous, freely
giving us these gifts in His Beloved. 7 Visualize this:
His blood freely flowing down the cross, setting us free! We are
forgiven for our sinful ways by the richness of His grace, 8 which
He has poured all over us. With all wisdom and insight, 9 He
has enlightened us to the great mystery at the center of His will. With
immense pleasure, He laid out His intentions through Jesus, 10 a
plan that will climax when the time is right as He returns to create order
and unity—both in heaven and on earth—when all things are brought together
under the Anointed’s royal rule. In Him 11 we stand to
inherit even more. As His heirs, we are predestined to play a key role
in His unfolding purpose that is energizing everything to conform to His
will. 12 As a result, we—the first to place our hope in the
Anointed One—will live in a way to bring Him glory and praise. 13 Because
you, too, have heard the word of truth—the good news of your salvation—and
because you believed in the One who is truth, your lives are marked with
His seal. This is none other than the Holy Spirit who was promised 14 as
the guarantee toward the inheritance we are to receive when He frees and rescues all who
belong to Him. To God be all praise and glory!
Selah.
... and my journey with my Lord continues ...