TAKING OUR CITY
JOIN US FOR 21 DAYS OF PRAYER AND FASTING
Day 1
By Janell LaCourse
Unexplainable, Yet Undeniable
Our God is faithful and He “…daily loadeth us with benefits…” (Psalms 68:19) but, every once in a while; He exceeds all of our expectations! I am reminded of one particular Wednesday night bible study when God swept in with miraculous provision. When the offering was being collected, I found that I only had $7 until Friday. I began to take $2 out of my purse and heard the still small voice of God telling me to keep the $2 and give Him the $5. Knowing my Father’s voice, I obeyed. Placing the $5 in the offering plate with tears, I whispered a prayer telling God that even though I had obeyed, I felt bad that the amount I had to give was so small. Without any forethought, I told God, “If I had more, I would give it.”
After bible study, when the time came to leave, one of the saints opened their hand to give me something and said that God told them to give this to me, and He even gave them “the number”. I thought that God had miraculously given them a phone number for me to call and follow-up with someone. However, when they opened their hand, I saw a folded check. Taken back, I told them “No, I can’t take this,” to which they replied, “Praise God!” and quickly left before I could return the check.
I was overcome with gratitude to them and God for answering a prayer I had just prayed. Without opening the check, I went into the prayer room and gave thanks and prayed for God’s blessings on them and their family. After about 15 minutes, I opened the check and was astonished at the amount…$1,392! Immediately I told God, “I can’t accept this!” to which the Lord replied, that it was necessary not only for me to receive it, but for them to give it.
So, overwhelmed by God’s goodness, I went home and showed the check to my husband, explaining what had transpired. Aware that I had made a promise to God, that if I had more money, I would give Him more; it was determined that after the tithe, we would sponsor a foreign student and later we were able to bless a couple of saints also! How fun!
Knowing that this was God’s supernatural provision, I made a copy of the check so that it would be a memorial for us. We were waiting and watching and remembering the words of the gift giver that God had given them “the number”. Before long my husband’s car had to be serviced as all four shocks were bad. Upon leaving the repair shop, they printed out the receipt so we could send in a rebate for one free shock. While at a red light, I wondered what the total repair cost was. Upon returning home, I did some quick figuring and realized that God provided the entire car repair, and we even had some left over.
We recognize that the non-monetary “daily benefits” that we are loaded with far outweigh temporal monetary provision, but occasionally God will astonish us with His miraculous provision before the need is even apparent just because He can! Truly we can “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5).
Day 2
By Mindy Gray
Mary's View
Our God is faithful and He “…daily loadeth us with benefits…” (Psalms 68:19) but, every once in a while; He exceeds all of our expectations! I am reminded of one particular Wednesday night bible study when God swept in with miraculous provision. When the offering was being collected, I found that I only had $7 until Friday. I began to take $2 out of my purse and heard the still small voice of God telling me to keep the $2 and give Him the $5. Knowing my Father’s voice, I obeyed. Placing the $5 in the offering plate with tears, I whispered a prayer telling God that even though I had obeyed, I felt bad that the amount I had to give was so small. Without any forethought, I told God, “If I had more, I would give it.”
After bible study, when the time came to leave, one of the saints opened their hand to give me something and said that God told them to give this to me, and He even gave them “the number”. I thought that God had miraculously given them a phone number for me to call and follow-up with someone. However, when they opened their hand, I saw a folded check. Taken back, I told them “No, I can’t take this,” to which they replied, “Praise God!” and quickly left before I could return the check.
I was overcome with gratitude to them and God for answering a prayer I had just prayed. Without opening the check, I went into the prayer room and gave thanks and prayed for God’s blessings on them and their family. After about 15 minutes, I opened the check and was astonished at the amount…$1,392! Immediately I told God, “I can’t accept this!” to which the Lord replied, that it was necessary not only for me to receive it, but for them to give it.
So, overwhelmed by God’s goodness, I went home and showed the check to my husband, explaining what had transpired. Aware that I had made a promise to God, that if I had more money, I would give Him more; it was determined that after the tithe, we would sponsor a foreign student and later we were able to bless a couple of saints also! How fun!
Knowing that this was God’s supernatural provision, I made a copy of the check so that it would be a memorial for us. We were waiting and watching and remembering the words of the gift giver that God had given them “the number”. Before long my husband’s car had to be serviced as all four shocks were bad. Upon leaving the repair shop, they printed out the receipt so we could send in a rebate for one free shock. While at a red light, I wondered what the total repair cost was. Upon returning home, I did some quick figuring and realized that God provided the entire car repair, and we even had some left over.
We recognize that the non-monetary “daily benefits” that we are loaded with far outweigh temporal monetary provision, but occasionally God will astonish us with His miraculous provision before the need is even apparent just because He can! Truly we can “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5).
Day 3
By Kristen Cavin
Who's Holding Me
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
It’s very easy to get caught up in the demands of life: children, schedules, responsibilities, laundry… And it’s very easy to spend so much time holding things together, that you begin to wonder ‘who is holding me.’
I am so thankful to know that even in the most troubling times, God has given me a promise that He will help me and uphold me with His righteous right hand. If I have learned anything to this point in my life, it is that I cannot do this without God. So, I rejoice in the knowledge that He has not asked me to take one step, or live one day without trusting in Him for all that I need.
Whatever difficulty may be in your life right now, remember that God’s promise is for you, and He has no intention of forgetting it. God will strengthen you when you feel like you cannot do anymore, and He will encourage you when you feel like you don’t want to do anymore.
Day 4
By Chris Thrush
Turning Point
Everyone’s walk with the Lord is different, but usually you can look back and see a beginning point with several “aha” moments along the way. It might be one specific experience that culminates quickly into bringing about salvation, or a series of events that lead you to Him over a longer period. It might even be a special Scripture that God uses to refocus your mind in the direction that will best draw you closer to Him. Whatever it is, however, you never forget it because it reshapes your life forever.
My journey began as a child, raised in a conservative and very traditional religious background. My parents taught me the importance of faithfulness to God’s house, a love of family, and a lifetime commitment to both. Although the church we attended was well meaning and filled with a lot of hardworking and generally good people as the world would see them, much of the truth from God’s Word was never preached, and salvation was more a mental decision to join the church and accept its doctrines than to be saved according to God’s plan.
God continued to woo me, but it was not until after high school and nurse’s training, that I began to realize there was something drastically missing from my spiritual walk. It was then that God led me to this precious Acts 2:38 message. There was one special Scripture, however, that Jesus spoke to me through, and that was II Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” In a nutshell God was telling me what was missing, and of course it was His Spirit. You can walk like a Christian, talk like a Christian, and even appear to be a good Christian, but it will never answer the sin question. Trying to follow the law alone as the Pharisees did will never cleanse your heart and mind, and it will never fill the void in your soul that only Jesus was meant to fill. I may not have liked some of the changes that God asked of me, but I soon found that His way was the only way that works!
The longer I follow the Lord, the more I understand that the truths He has shown me in the past are still just as important today. We never truly arrive but continually need to die out daily to self (I Cor. 15:31) and press toward the mark of His high calling (Philippians 3:14). So, you say, “We are the people of the spirit, you have told us nothing new.” Just as the Laodicea church in Revelations became lukewarm, we too can become complacent and lose out with God. What a travesty that would be in this day and hour! We have come too far in our journey to turn back now. Our mission is to show forth His truth, speaking it in love (Ephesians 4:15), but certainly not to rest back on our laurels. Take it from one who knows and has “been there and done that”. I leave you with this thought from Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Day 5
By Jack Carls Sr.
Moreover, As For Me
“Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:” 1 Samuel 12:23 KJV
These Old Testament prophets had a unique way of calling sin by its first name. "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you…" Samuel apparently walked to the beat of a different drummer. Although, it must be noted this scriptural statement was only in reference to him and him alone. "Moreover as for me…", he would proclaim. Perhaps he would say this is not for you, but this is for me and me alone. He might go on to say this is my personal conviction that God has laid on my heart concerning prayer.
Perhaps we're off the hook as to the serious implication of this Scripture. Or are we? I'll leave that to your interpretation as to how important it is to pray for others.
As we enter into "Taking Our City, 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting," perhaps the tone of Samuel’s scriptural words will cause us to pause and realize that God takes our prayers seriously and places them in vials to be reserved and answered according to his will, as
Day 6
By Jen Dillingham
Trust Me
More than 15 million Americans struggle with anxiety. A lot of these people are Christians and probably have the verse about casting your cares on Him memorized and say it daily. They know intellectually that God is in control but have a hard time translating that to their heart and emotions. So if they have this head knowledge, why do so many have overwhelming fear and worry?
I believe that a lot of it is because we play over and over in our head the “what-ifs” and the “unknowns”. The unknown is a scary world to wander around in. We then try to control the scenarios, and that can be crippling. A lot of times, we worry about things that will never even happen. We must look to the cross and build a relationship with Him (vertical), and not on the daily issues that we try to control (horizontal).
We have to develop a way to have faith and trust Him with our worries and fears. We have to give up the control and be satisfied with His answers. Easier said than done? I have been there…it truly works. Once we give it over to Him completely, and you step away from it you truly will have peace and freedom. Trust me, His solution will be much better than the one that we come up with.
Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalms 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Psalms 56:3-4 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Day 7
By Dug Senters
God, My Shield
A few years ago at a youth prayer meeting, Michael Cavin encouraged those in attendance to think about a way to give God some unique praise by giving thanks for something we may have overlooked or taken for granted. I went to the corner of the prayer room and quietly meditated on God. I asked Him to show me something I had never seen. What I believe I saw while I prayed was a vision of my days in college, when I was not who or what He wanted me to be.
In my tiny apartment in Bowling Green, I designated one corner as my prayer closet. Exhausted and overwhelmed, I was lost for words. But I felt the tug of God's presence. So in a feeble effort to just cope, I simply knelt with my face in that corner. I didn't have much to say. I didn't feel worthy. But I knelt, and I hoped God would respond to my inaudible pleas.
God had His eye on that young man kneeling in his apartment. In the prayer room at First Apostolic Church, I got a glimpse of His love for me. I felt as though I saw myself as a college student, kneeling in my little corner. My view widened to reveal a figure with His back to mine, standing to face the rest of the room. Finally, the entire room came into view. Vile creatures filled the space. They were shooting arrows at the kneeling man. But the heroic figure, arms outstretched, took those arrows.
Jesus died on a cross for my sins. But even now He watches over me. My pain and my struggles compel Him to action.
Regardless of where you are spiritually, God knows. And He honors a sincere heart. Even when you feel unworthy, God pays attention when He sees your desire to get back on track. He will never leave you. He can't. He is your shield.
Day 8
By Jonathan Gray
Even When I Can't See Him
To say that I have asked the question, “Where are you God?”, once or twice in my lifetime would be a HUGE understatement… maybe more like once or twice a week would be closer to the truth!
We all know the story about the three Hebrew boys that were cast into the furnace because they refused to bow to the idol and how the Word says that God was in the furnace with them… just indulge me for a moment and open up your Bible and read the story again… Hint Hint…it is found in Daniel 3.
Now I want to challenge you… go back to the part where the boys are in the fire and find the place where it says that they saw the fourth figure in there with them… don’t take too long…
Ok, I was just messing with you… you wont find it because it isn’t in there… the Bible never says that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego saw the fourth figure in the furnace with them… King Nebuchadnezzar was the one that saw him!
I know that right now you may not be seeing God in the situation(s) that you are going through… but hear me… cancer, all diseases, sickness, emotional disorders, strife, demons, and hell all see Him! Understand that He is always with you…. even though you can’t see or sense Him.
I believe that sometimes He just chooses to show Himself to the adversary to remind him whose child you are and that He is the one in control!
Psalm 139:7 & 8
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
Day 9
By Linda Carls
My Testimony
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” Psalm 1:2
“When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”
Isaiah 43:2
As a child, I was primarily raised by my apostolic grandparents. They made sure that I was involved in church at every opportunity. I went to church, sang, taught Sunday School, and Vacation Bible School. Even though my grandparents had 11 children of their own, they always had room to raise one more.
Looking back, I can see God’s faithfulness throughout my life. At times, I also lived with my mother and stepfather, two half-brothers, and a sister. Although my siblings had been baptized, they had walked away from God when they were young. My mother had also walked away from God. We prayed continually that she would come back to Him, and I got to see my prayer answered! She reached out to God on her deathbed and begged him for forgiveness. I stood beside her with my sister, and told her that God had already forgiven her at Calvary. She just needed to accept His forgiveness and thank and praise Him for it. She did, and it was with great peace in her heart, that she left this earth Friday morning.
My stepdad was raised by Pentecostal Holiness parents, and his dad pastored a small church in Virginia. Even though he was raised in church, he never really made a start with God. After my mother passed away, he was completely lonely and heartbroken. Three years after her death, we were visiting with him, and Jack felt led to talk to him about getting his heart right with God. After explaining the cross and forgiveness to dad, Jack led him through repentance, and with tears streaming down his face, he told us he was ready to be baptized. Jonathan and Mindy came, and we watched Jonathan and Jack baptized my dad in the precious name of Jesus. Little did we know that he would pass on just three months later. God is faithful!
God continued to work in my family and show Himself faithful! My brother and sister-in-law asked Jonathan to come baptize them. My sister was told she had a pre-cancerous tumor, and she believed since she had walked away from God, He would not hear her prayers. We all prayed for her and with her, and when the tumor was removed, she was told there was no cancer! She is now back in church and living her life for the Lord.
We have seen God’s faithfulness throughout our entire family. He is a prayer-answering God! He has brought family members through trials, addictions, and unbelievable circumstances. Over and over we have seen that God is faithful even when we are not. You can always come to Him and get a fresh start. I just want to encourage you today to test His faithfulness. Never give up! You may question at times if God is really there, but I promise you, He is. When you are planted in Him, like the tree planted by the river of water, the waters will not overcome you. You will find all you need in Him.
He is faithful!
Day 10
By Sis. Jordan
Rejoicing!
We have 3 grandchildren and the oldest is 9, MaKinzie Jordan. I took her to our Ohio Sunday School camp a couple of years ago and she received the Holy Ghost. What a beautiful and joyful time that was for her and for me as her “Gigi,”! I could join Isaiah when he wrote in Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness.” She was scared to get baptized, and I wanted her parents to be there, so she did not get baptized at camp.
The next year at Because of the Times conference, I talked to her great-grandmother, and we agreed that we would pray that somehow she would feel the need to be baptized. We both prayed during that year for that to happen. The next year we were getting ready to go to BOTT again, and I was going to be able to spend a few days with Kinzie while there. I texted her mother and asked her if Kinzie had said anything about being baptized. She called me back a few days later and said Kinzie did want to get baptized and she wanted Papa (Bishop Jordan) to do the honors. God answered our prayers and on that Sunday before BOTT, we saw her go down in the precious name of Jesus, washing her sins away. I can rejoice as David did in Psalm 95:1 when he wrote, “O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” We rejoiced together and knew God answered our prayer!
Thank you Jesus, for answering my prayers and giving me this testimony for 2016!!
Day 11
By Sally Smith
Many Are Called
The first thing I think of when I hear, Taking Our City, is Jonah. Jonah was called to go to Nineveh to essentially do the same thing. As you know, his response was to run from God.
Jonah knew that God would spare the people of Nineveh and show mercy and compassion. He did not think the people of Nineveh deserved God’s mercy. He was perfectly content to allow God to bless him and never share what God had done in his life, with the people from the city of Nineveh…Somewhere along the way, Jonah came to the conclusion it was his business who the Lord should show mercy to. He forgot that he was merely the messenger.
I have often wondered why God didn’t call someone else to go to Nineveh…I am certain there were plenty of people he could have asked to go with half the trouble, or no trouble at all.
The story of Jonah leads me to believe that there is a specific call that each of us have been given to do, and Jesus will go to great lengths to have YOU do it. Others cannot fulfill your mission.
Nineveh was a wicked city and without hesitation they turned from their wicked ways. Their hearts were ready to receive. I believe the hearts of the people in our city are similar to the hearts of the people in Nineveh. They are ready to receive a fresh Word from God and turn from their wicked ways. The best way we can help in this, is by being obedient. The Bible says if you are willing and obedient you shall eat of the good of the land. It takes more than just wanting to…you have to act. Listen for the still small voice standing in line at the grocery store….or maybe God will ask you to speak to that coworker. You never know when He will ask you to step forward, or who He will ask you to speak to. But it is important that we are ready when He does with a willing spirit to be obedient. Jesus has already prepared the hearts and the minds of the people we will encounter, and when we obey, it will be the greatest move of God this city has ever seen.
So as we fast and pray in further preparation for “Taking Our City”, keep in mind that it is not about us, and we have absolutely no right to deem someone worthy or unworthy for the mercies of God. We are simply servants-called to be obedient. We are called to be a light in the darkness. We cannot just shine bright to the darkness of this city, we need share with them WHY we shine bright and what sets us apart. How will they come to know the truth if we are not sharing it with them?
Day 12
By Naomi Kufel
Martha, Martha
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 38-42
Martha, Martha, I understand your frustration so much. There is always something to be done, and who will make sure it gets done? Martha.
Martha, you have so much energy. Serving is what you were meant to do. It's all right. I get it, Martha.
Martha, you look tired. But I won't even bother telling you to put your feet up. I know what you're thinking. The Master is here.
Martha? How many times does the Messiah himself come into your own house? How many times do you get to wash His feet, get Him a fresh set of clothes, make sure He gets a hot meal? You never said. Maybe it was just that one time. No pressure, right?
Always so busy, Martha. I don't know how you do it. You probably get that all the time. There aren't many people that work as hard as you do, Martha.
But Martha, the Master is here! Pause. Breathe. Listen. Are you listening? That's the Master's voice.
Martha, Martha. What if I told you that you might never hear that voice again? No. Why would you even consider it? Martha, what if I told you that the next time you saw this Man, He would be hanging on a cross. Yes, Martha. You will barely recognize His face. You'll watch as He struggles to breathe, suspended in agony. There is nothing you can do for Him now, Martha.
Martha. He'll refuse the gall and vinegar. And at that moment, He'll seem to look right at you. You'll never forget the expression on His face. You'll remember that day when He sat at your table. When He looked up at you and pushed away His plate. He looked at you with those eyes you can't escape and said, "Martha, Martha."
He said one thing is necessary. He knew that he had to make every moment count. He chose His portion. He chose to spend His time with you. He was telling you with every word and every deed to choose wisely.
Martha, Martha. Are you listening?
Don't miss this moment. Choose your portion.
Day 13
By Kris Dillingham
The Purpose of the Storm
Several years ago, I read this blog about hurricanes:
I had always thought of hurricanes as something mankind could do without. But recently I learned that they are necessary to maintain a balance in nature. These tropical storms, with winds up to 150 miles an hour and accompanied by torrential rains, glaring lightning, and rumbling thunder, can be devastating. Yet scientists tell us they are tremendously valuable. They dissipate a large percentage of the oppressive heat which builds up at the equator, and they are indirectly responsible for much of the rainfall in North and South America. Meteorologists therefore no longer use cloud-seeding techniques to prevent them from being formed. They are convinced that hurricanes actually do more good than harm.
The question is not, “Will we have storms in life?” That is clearly answered in Scripture:
• Matthew 5:45 = “sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
• Job 14:1 = A person’s life “is of few days and full of trouble”
• John 16:33 = “In the world you will[a] have tribulation;”
And that’s just a small sample size of Scriptures that let us know that storms, troubles, hardships, and uncertainties are just a natural part of living in a fallen world. So the question that we must address is, “What is our attitude about the storms we face?”
I believe Paul clearly answers this all-important question in 2 Corinthians 4:
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
Remember: The storm is doing more good than you can realize today!
Day 14
By Brandon Carpenter
Live It!
I was backslidden for many years. After I found my way back to God, I tried for a while to live for God without changing my habits, lifestyle, friendships, etc. One day I came across these verses and they truly convicted me.
Romans 2:21-24 Thou therefore which teachest another, teaches thou not thyself? Thou that preaches a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrent idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makes thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
It made me realize that I can't serve God and continue to do the same things, have the same conversations, and continue with relationships that are not pleasing to God. If I were to continue, it would keep others from seeing God through me, but it could even dishonor God by not showing the change he has made in me. As I try to be a better minister or disciple, I try to remind myself that people are watching. God is watching. The only way I will ever reach anyone is if I live His truth everyday.
Practice what you preach. Be an example. Don’t just say it. Live it.
Day 15
By Jennifer Thompson
Lord...Are You Still Listening?
There I was, wandering though the valley yet again. Wasn’t I just on the mountain? Things had been going great. I had realized my dream of becoming a teacher. The doors I had only dreamed of walking though had recently been opened for me in a way that could only have come from God. I KNEW I was in His will. Things were perfect, until they weren’t. How did I get back here? What did I do wrong? This particular valley was dark and lonely. It was scary and uncharted, and I wasn’t alone. This time my entire family was in the valley with me.
I got the call during work that my daughter had passed out at school. My response was, “Give her something to eat and send her back to class.” Heartless? Maybe. I had no idea how serious it was, but I quickly discovered that our lives would never be the same.
Things went from bad to worse and the valley grew deeper, darker, and longer than I could ever have imagined. We had no answers, no idea what was going on, and very little hope.
After one particularly difficult night, I made my way to the hospital chapel. The mask I was wearing was cracking, but I just couldn’t let anyone around me see that I was losing my cool. I had to be strong. I had to hold everyone together and keep us all moving…but I WAS losing it.
The chapel was the only place I could think of where I could cry and it wouldn’t be out of place. Thankfully, when I arrived, it was empty. The doors were open as a welcome to all, but I shut them. I shut them because I wanted to be all by myself with God. And now I was, but I couldn’t even talk to Him. All I could do was allow the worry, fear, and grief to overwhelm me.
Those emotions and fatigue took over, and I cried like I had never cried before. Deep, gut-wrenching sobs shook by body. I was devastated. We had no answers, nor did the doctors even have a plan. Questions swirled in my mind. Will she be ok? What happens if she keeps getting worse? What is going on? Then came the question I always have in the valley - “God, where are you?”
Nothing. I heard absolutely nothing! Fine…Next question. “God, what are you trying to teach me? I am obviously not getting it, so could you just spell it out for me?” Anger, frustration, hopelessness - you name it and I can assure you I was feeling it. I couldn’t understand why God would allow my beautiful 9 year old little girl to have her life so devastatingly altered. I was mad, scared, hurt and ashamed. And I was ashamed of the myriad emotions I was feeling. Wasn’t I a Christian? Didn’t I love God? Finally, I settled on sheer defeat. That was the emotion of the minute. “Lord, how can I be so overwhelmed with fear when I love you with all my heart? How can I question when I trust who You are and Your plan?”
In that moment, in the deepest, darkest valley of my life, I heard His still small voice. I didn’t deserve it, I couldn’t have earned it, but He spoke to me anyway. I heard Him say, “I was human once. I know how it feels to be human. Those emotions, I gave them to you. I made you to feel. Feeling doesn’t mean you don’t trust. You just can’t live in those emotions. Feelings are fleeting. I am not. I am with you.” That is when for the second time in my life, I felt the physical embrace of God. I KNEW He was with me. Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Day 16
By Jonathan Gray
I'll Praise Him No Matter What!
How many of you have ever prayed and fasted for a situation only to have it turn out the complete opposite of how you were hoping. I’ll be the first to admit that I have been there myself… many times… and since there are no “Cliff’s Notes” on how to recover and move on, I find my direction in the Word of God.
II Samuel 12 lays out the story when King David was fasting and praying that his child would live…. even after the prophet told him what the outcome would be. As it was told, unbeknownst to David, the child passes and now the wisemen are torn on how to deliver the news to David. They are fearful of how he might react… will he become violent and blame us, lose his mind and go insane, or just throw in the towel? They try to beat around the bush but David asks them outright if the child has passed…. “just give it to me straight”
David’s response to the news completely upsets the reasoning of the wisemen and leaves them scratching their heads in wonder. Instead of acting out any of their assumptions he does the unthinkable! David gets up, takes a bath, finds some oil and anoints himself… then he goes into the house of the LORD and worships God… the one who just allowed the death of his child… he worships Him… Talk about reverse psychology!
The question is to important to leave unasked and even more so the answer is too important, at least for me, to remain hidden… so one of the unnamed servants does me the favor and asks, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”
Davids response and the answer to our “how to keep going on when (you fill in the blank) happens” is “As long as there is hope and breath in the situation I’m going to pray for a miracle. However, if/when the hope leaves and the child dies, God is still on the throne and he is ALWAYS worthy of my PRAISE!
Let me speak to you now… the circumstance that you are praying about right now… people are watching and waiting to see how you are going to react to the outcome… You are about to astound them! You are about to experience what praise and anointing really are. When you worship, there will be pain in the offering but that is what is going to usher in the new anointing and revelation of the “Peace Speaker”.
Job 1:21 NLT
He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The LORD gave me what I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD!”
Day 17
By Jeremy Crowder
Psalms 71:22-23
I will also praise thee with the psaltery, [Even] thy truth, O my God: Unto thee will I sing praises with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall shout for joy when I sing praises unto thee; And my soul, which thou hast redeemed. Psalms 71:22-23
Through the year, it gets easier to focus only on the small things that make up the minutia of each day. Sometimes simply being bombarded slowly by life causes us to lose sight of the fact that we are redeemed.
In Psalm 34, when David says "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth," I think his focus was on the abundance of blessing the Lord had bestowed upon him, and there was no way to bless God enough to properly thank God for everything given.
When we adopt the mindset of David and consider the blessings and redemptive love of God continually, our praise can do nothing but become a constant reminder of what God has brought His people from and where we are going. This scripture is a call for me to remember to shout with a voice of triumph because my soul has been redeemed.
Day 18
By Racheal Krugh
Worship Always
Worship becomes a life changing force in every area and every moment of our lives through thankfulness. Being thankful changes our attitude, our circumstance, and our relationships. David shows us in Psalms 100:1-5, just how worship and thanksgiving are entwined:
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him and bless his name. For the Lord good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
David words are overflowing with heart and spirit in Psalms 100, but in Psalms 6:1-10 David is essentially pleading for his life. When facing death, and situations had not gone the way he had hoped they would, even when he was at his lowest point in his life, his heart still resounded with thanksgiving and praise. David realized his relationship was not based on circumstances but on praise, thanksgiving and the goodness of God.
Remember today to enter His gates with thanksgiving, in ALL circumstances. No matter what. All the time.
Day 19
By Michael Cavin
In Him
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; Acts 17:28
There is an inevitable venture upon which all of mankind is fixed. Whether knowingly, or in the shadow of naiveté; through deep and daunting philosophy, or by the simplitudes of common experience - we all struggle to find ourselves at the finish line of a great race. Our Creator has fashioned within us an inescapable urge - a ravenous craving - to be complete.
The rudiments of the world set the bounds for this course through a myriad of imperfect avenues:
"If I eat healthy and maintain a demanding exercise program, I will be complete."
"If I establish my career and bring myself to financial independence, I will be complete."
"If I find the right person, my 'soul-mate', I will be complete."
"If I adopt a pattern of positive thought and action, I will be complete."
Yet, the perplexing demand that even the wisdom of the world recognizes we reach for, was always intended to have one singular solution: In Jesus Christ dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. All the power of the Father of creation, the richness of the love of the Son, and the quickness of the Holy Spirit are held firmly complete in Him alone.
In Jesus, too, does the hope of our completion lie:
In Him I Live – My natural life is sustained and perfected, more than any herb or supplement, by Jesus alone.
In Him I Move – My source of strength is not built upon the teetering stake of emotion or what joys and fears any day may bring, but in the abiding joy of Jesus alone.
In Him I Have My Being – I will not ask of the world who, why, or where I am, but rather I will glory in the knowledge that I am a purchase and prize of Jesus alone.
And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Colossians 2:10
God saw it fit to reveal to us that His surpassing glory is held entirely in Jesus, so that we might recognize that our perfection - that is, our completeness – is in Him too. Today, do not let this knowledge steer you into idleness concerning our great race. Rather, let it remind you that the mark to which we aspire is the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Day 20
By Jennifer Condon
Stepping Out In Faith
When you’re a person who makes things happen and likes to ahem….control things, it’s easy to trust in yourself to get things done. It’s a whole other ballgame to trust in someone else to do something the way you would have done it. As an admitted control freak, even when I do entrust a task to someone else, I often devise a Plan B just in case they don’t do it the way I would have (real trusting, huh?).
God does not like Plan B’s. He doesn’t care for them at all. When God asks us to trust Him, it’s to trust Him wholly and completely with no thought of “what if?”, and without preparing a Plan B. That’s a hard one for those of us who like to be in charge and have learned to rely on ourselves. Psalm 9:10 says, “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” We know that God is faithful, we even know that He is trustworthy, but it’s still really hard to just let go sometimes.
What has my failure to trust Him completely cost me? Has it caused me to miss out on miracles? Has it caused me to miss out on blessings and peace? Has it cost me confusion because I did not trust in His ways and His wisdom? Whatever the situation, I know that if I trust Him, I will be so much better off than if I trust in myself and my own understanding. One of my goals for this coming year is to learn to trust Him with everything. I don’t have to have all of the answers, I don’t even have to.
Day 21
By John Lucas
Praise the Lord!
"I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee." Psalms 138:1
This Scripture isn't just about praise but about volition. Your praise is determined by your will power to release it. When you release your praise, your will and God's will align. When this agreement happens miracles happen too.
This should give you a moment to pause. How many opportunities have been missed for the miraculous because of not giving Jesus the divine recognition found in praising Him? The word "praise" in the Greek implies distance. This suggests that the object of your praise is, in some form or another, far from where you are. This distance, for example, may be the distance between His greatness and yours. The beauty is that your praise has the power to bridge that distance and invite Him directly to where you need Him most. So if you really need Him to perform your prayers, then praise Him as though your answered prayers are a foregone conclusion. If your prayers being answered is your will, then let it become your praise.