Prayer Battles...

Bummer. You know, some prayer battles are long and arduous...

“Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker." 2 Samuel 3:1

Sometimes, we are praying to our Father when He has told us that He has given us authority in His name to smite the enemy’s advances. But we keep praying for Him to do something, but He is waiting for us!

Many times, the battle rages long because there are many components to the coming answer. There are other lives and circumstances God is lining up before the puzzle pieces can come together. Yet, we grow impatient and try to take matters in our own hands. Don’t do that!

When the prayer battle lingers, ask the Lord for direction regarding how to pray and what demonic strongholds you need to break in His name. Fast when you are called to fast and ask for specific scriptures to hold onto and stand on. You may be in for a long haul, so pace yourself: pray fervently when prompted to, but rest in between times. Hang tough, keeping your eyes ever on your Faithful Commander. He will answer your prayer.

At the Start of This Week...

At the start of this week...

Should your house be under water, your check book nearly overdrawn, your job situation is iffy, or if it seems like everything in your life is coming undone, it is time to look up. These are difficult days, but Jesus said it would be so. Remember, He is One Who is greater still. Run to the arms of His comfort and He holds you in His mighty hand and won’t let go of you. This isn’t time to doubt. He will walk your through this wilderness.

Should your soul be under water, your reserves of patience nearly overdrawn, your relationships seem iffy, or if it seems like everything in your life is coming undone, it time to drop to your knees. Seek Jesus who has the power to work miracles in your midst, but may be waiting for you to take your hands off as you try to control your life. Because if you are in control, even just a little bit, that means He isn’t.

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything!
1 John 4:4

Lily...

I have a Type A personality, yet, because I am clothed in goofiness, I fool a lot of people. But not the Lord…

So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;”
Matthew 6:28

Last summer, my driven nature nearly sidetracked all Jesus was trying to do in my life. In July a friend had a word for me: the Lord desired for me to stop my hot pursuit of various ministries and rest in Him. Ouch! Two days later, at a small prayer gathering, the leader felt the Spirit’s nudging to look up the original meanings of all our names. Ironically, my first name, Susan, literally means Lily. I wanted to be Warrior, Princess, or Harvester, which were some of the others’ names meanings that evening.

The next morning, I turned to the verse above. I saw my name clearly in Jesus’ words. Toiling and spinning are perfect definitions of a driven personality. I had to laugh. God so has my number.

Are you driven by, or about, something? Take it from Lily, here. Rest and let Him do the heavy lifting in your life. He is able to carry your load and mine, too.

Ducks in a Row...

Are you a ducks-in-a-row kind of person?

"And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."
Acts 16:9

I kind of think Paul was that type of person. You know, someone who likes to know what the next step in their life is. The kind of person who likes almost every detail in place before moving forward. Someone who wants to know an outcome before making a decision. Is that you?

In the context of this verse, Paul and his crew were trying to move forward in their missionary venture. Yet, the doors kept closing. Their plans were coming undone. Their "ducks" were going every which way instead of lining up nicely. The Holy Spirit had other ducks for them.

I believe God is a God of order. However, HIS order isn't necessarily our order. HIS ducks are not our ducks. Get my point? It will always, always, always be about faith in Jesus' leading and our not trying to figure things out. His ways, His thoughts, and His adventures are not ours.

Someone needs to hear this: Wait on Him. Let Him position your ducks. And trust Him fully. You won't be disappointed.

Trust Him...

Are you worried or anxious about something?

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…" Matthew 6:25a

The original Greek word for worry here is so interesting. The word literally means to divide in parts, suggesting a distraction, a preoccupation with things causing anxiety, stress, and pressure. It means to be pulled in so many directions, trying to figure out the resolution to a troubling situation. A sense of feeling scattered, torn apart or undone.

Sometimes we think to worry is the responsible thing to do, excusing our preoccupation with it. However, in Christ, to worry is to say He is not big enough, smart enough, wise enough, or He lacks the resources to help us in our need. Really? And yet, this is what our worry reveals

How about we do a preemptive strike against worry? Let’s soak in all of Jesus’ words concerning our life found in Matthew 6:19-34. I mean really soak. Then, let’s invite the Holy Spirit to fill us with His faith as we choose to believe what Jesus says is true. Finally, let’s rest in His arms and obey Him implicitly when He gives us direction.

We need not be torn apart. He is worthy of our trust.

Always Enough...

It doesn’t matter where we are in life or what is taking place. Jesus is always enough.

"Then His disciples answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?" Mark 8:4

Jesus was ministering to the multitudes. The huddled masses, yearning to be free, healed, and saved, were growing in numbers as the Spirit led Jesus to be about His Father’s business. Now, they were all in the wilderness without a McDonald’s in sight, if you get my drift.

Yet, were Jesus is, there is always enough. He met them there in their hunger, blood, sweat, tears, darkness, longings, and failings. He met their need and then there were leftovers, a surplus, so much plenty. Yes, so great an abundance.

This is what He longs to do in each of our lives. But like the multitudes, we need to stop and sit awhile in His presence, just as Jesus told them to do. We must listen closely for His instruction and then give thanks just as He did.

He will always lavishly give us bread in our every wilderness season when all our options seem distant and it will always be more than we could ever expect. It will always be more than enough to satisfy every longing of our hearts.

Kingdom Come...

The simple blueprint for spiritual warfare is found in the Lord’s prayer...

“So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” Luke 11:2

Over and over in the gospels of the New Testament, we hear Jesus talk about His kingdom. And yes, of course, we all look forward to that day when we experience His kingdom when we pass into His presence.

However, kingdom living is for now. Jesus came to this planet ruled by our adversary, the devil, to establish His reign in those who would believe in Him. In other words, the Lord is telling us that in every dark and desperate situation we face, we can pray; we can declare, “Your kingdom come into this situation!” And we speak with the authority He has given us to use, “In Jesus’ Name!”

No, this side of heaven, we might not see every victory, but we won’t see much at all if we don’t start praying and declaring His Word of truth. This is not passive praying, this is bringing the power of Almighty God into everyday life. Let’s start now.

At the Start of this Week...

At the start of this week...

Should you lose your car keys, lose the cat, or maybe even think that you are losing your mind, rest assured. God is still on His throne. Just be sure, however, that He is on the throne of your life! As long as you are in control in matters both great and small, He isn’t. Surrender all to Jesus, then back off. You get the idea.

Should the sink back up, your friends fail to show up, or you just want to throw up your hands in the air over your life circumstances, this is the time – ahem, it ALWAYS the time – to draw close to Jesus. Quiet your heart in a quiet place and let His Holy Spirit make His presence real. Open His Word and let Him speak exactly what you need to hear. He is waiting for you to come.

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything!  1 John 4:4

It's My Pleasure...

“It’s my pleasure!” a young waitress said to me recently at a restaurant.

“We keep looking to the LORD our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.”  Psalm 123:2 NLT

Boy. Good customer service sure goes a long way. Wouldn’t you agree? Excellent or poor customer service can make or break an experience. And this leads me to reconsider what it means when we say…

“I will wait upon the Lord.”

Inherent in this phrase is the thought that we are waiting either patiently – or not – for God to hurry up and answer a prayer, bring a promise to pass, or for His timing to be fulfilled. Waiting sucks. Ok. There I said it. However, it may help if we consider waiting on King Jesus in the way described by the Psalmist.

“Lord, what is your order today?”

“How may I best serve You, my Father?”

“What is your bidding, Jesus? I am here to fulfill it.

This is what real waiting is about. Serving Him with full delight. Seeking what would please Him. Asking what would He like to “order” today. Knowing Him so intimately that it isn’t hard to wait because His presence, power, and words are life abundant itself.

One of the Hebrew words for waiting on God means to be so bound up with Him that we are lost in His embrace. I wanna do that kind of waiting, so that whatever He speaks for me to do, I promptly and from my heart say…

“It's my pleasure, Lord!”

Restoration...

This often-quoted verse is often greatly underestimated...

"He restores my soul..."
Psalm 23:3

First, we must understand that the soul is our:

Heart
Emotions
Mind
Thought Life
Ability to Choose
Our Intellect
Our Personality

Now read again this simple, but profound, promise above. What arena of your soul needs His restoration?

Yep. You got it right. All of our soul.

This is the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Never stop seeking His restoration and never stop walking in ever greater freedom and healing in Him.

He is able -- simply come.

Untie the Knots...

To untie the knots of my heart...my mind...my life. Yes, Lord, yes. I want this more than anything, that I might bring You glory.

“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8 

Honestly. When I live less-than, purposeless, and for myself, the enemy of my soul ties me up in knots. When situations are overwhelming, I fall prey to fatigue, fear, or worry. For you, too? When I allow the devil to have his way, the complexity of who I am, my emotions and my thoughts are like a knotted mass of chains from a jewelry box gone awry.

But Jesus came. He comes to me now. He comes to destroy, to untie, to loosen me from the knots of my stuff, my sin, and the devil. He comes to loosen completely the grip of my past. This is what the original Greek word for destroy means in this passage. And, Jesus is the only One who can...Who wants to...Who has and will continue to free me. And free me for what?

But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

To wait in the original language here means to be bound up in and entwined with, and be held closely by Someone. Jesus loosens my knots that I am free to be forever caught up, bound up, and knotted in His lavish love and all His heart wants to give me: His strength, His joy...His ability to soar.

Yes, Lord...yes.

Search Me...

One of the greatest aspects of the Gospel is His healing for the brokenness we experience in the deep recesses of our lives…

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.  Psalm 139:23-24

We need never fear the Holy Spirit’s searchlight into our innermost being – our hearts and minds. He can wade through all the muck and mire; shame and pride; lust and selfishness. Jesus longs to bring us into His freedom and wholeness. He never once stops loving us, no matter what His searchlight reveals. He is with us in those dark places.

If we are tired of living with anxiety, insecurity, and bondage to habits we disdain, and a myriad of other soul sicknesses – the verse above is the launching point to release in our lives. Let’s let Jesus go deep in our souls and allow His truth to reveal the lies we believe about ourselves. Let’s take some time before this day ends to meet with the Great Counselor to start this great journey of freedom. He is able and He is waiting for us to come and experience His healing, tender touch.

Really. Honestly.

When I heard about my two friends reconciling after hitting a rough patch in their relationship, it brought me to tears and I remembered this portion of the Lord’s Prayer...

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12

Really. Honestly. When I truly see my own brokenness, failings, and failures, I can more readily forgive others. I wouldn’t have thought this true. Yet as the Lord began to heal me from the inside-out of my own shame, insecurities, wounds, hurts, and addictions – I couldn’t hold blame over anyone else’s life.

I also made the wondrous discovery that spending a little bit of time in Jesus’ overwhelming presence filled my soul to overflowing. From these shared moments with the Savior, I realized that stuff which would have previously wounded my heart, just didn’t have that power any longer.

Hurt people – hurt people. Nevertheless, when Jesus forgives, heals, and transforms us, we learn that forgiven people can forgive people. I want to live this way. You too?

At the Start of This Week...

At the start of this week...

Should you lose your car keys, lose the cat, or maybe even think that you are losing your mind, rest assured. God is still on His throne. Just be sure, however, that He is on the throne of your life! As long as you are in control in matters both great and small, He isn’t. Surrender all to Jesus, then back off. You get the idea.

Should the sink back up, your friends fail to show up, or you just want to throw up your hands in the air over your life circumstances, this is the time – ahem, it ALWAYS the time – to draw close to Jesus. Quiet your heart in a quiet place and let His Holy Spirit make His presence real. Open His Word and let Him speak exactly what you need to hear. He is waiting for you to come.

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything!

1 John 4:4

Broadway...

Sometimes we need to learn to live in the small, confined place before the Lord can release us into His broad place...

“I called on the LORD in distress; 
The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.”
Psalm 118:5

Have you ever been in a situation that felt confining, hard, and difficult? Have you – like me – complained to the Lord about it, yet your prayers seem to go unanswered? This could be a relationship, a marriage, a workplace, home, school -- you name it situation.

If you are in currently in one of these ‘small’ places, can I encourage you to quit your complaining, griping, and placing blame elsewhere and instead ask the Lord what it is He is trying to work out of your character so that you may take on more of His? Escaping, quitting, and running away only delays the inevitable go-round of the same issue again, somewhere and sometime in your life.

Take it from me who had to learn this lesson in the small place.

When I began to believe and live what comes later in this same Psalm, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it,” no matter what my circumstances were, I found abundance in the small place – because I found HIM in the small place. And I usually wasn’t long after that my circumstances would change completely.

Yes, I can tell you story after story. Find joy in the narrow road and shortly you will be walking on the street named: His Broadway.

Little Verse...

This little verse turned my world right side up...

"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8

The Greek word used here for destroy is lyo: to loosen any person or thing that is tied or fastened, to loosen one that is bound; to set free.

I was someone who was tied up in knots for years. No, I wasn’t the anxious type – I am a southern California beach girl through and through with the matching personality. Yet, I was twisted in the enemy’s knots and lies about my worth: my appearance and my abilities.

If you are struggling today, get help, help, help. Don't delay! Most of all, seek the Good Shepherd who came to untie the knots of any and everything the devil, the world, others, and your own flesh may have bound and entangled you with.

He is more than able. He is more than willing. He loves you more than you will ever know, and He can untie every knot you find yourself caught in.

At the Start of This Week...

At the start of this week.

Should your dog eat your slippers, your favorite team bite the dust, or you just plain feel like the stuff of your life is insurmountable, look to the One who holds all the answers. He never promised life would be easy in this broken, evil world, but He did promise that you are more than a conqueror when you abide in Him. He delivers on His promises.

Should your relationships be frayed and worn, and impatience and frustration are tempting you, look at yourself first. Don’t place blame. It takes two-to-tango, as the saying goes. Jesus always tells us to take the splinter out of our own eye first before even attempting to point out the log in another’s eye. Let Jesus deal with your issues. That’s what He is asking of you in this moment.

This is a week of new beginnings, hopes to be realized, and miracles to watch for. Keep your eyes open, your heart tender, and your mind from distraction. This week will be awesome in Jesus because He Who is in you is greater than anything!
1 John 4:4

Time to Get Wet...

Ahhhh. To live in the river of God’s presence. Nevertheless...

There are bills to pay, diapers to change, cars to fix, families to fix, carpets to be vacuumed, laundry piles, laundry mountains, laundry-lava-flows. There are kids to discipline, runny noses to wipe, work deadlines to meet, work gossip to put up with – work, work, work. You get the idea.

"Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine."

Ezekiel 47:12

Short and sweet. If we live in the river of His presence – spending time alone with Jesus, hearing His voice through His Word and presence – the stuff of our lives will be different. Including the laundry.

Jesus can make the mundane extraordinary, take the tedious and make it holy ground, restore joy (yes, giddy happiness) when the darkness closes in. And, He can bring His healing touch to any situation. Honestly. It is time to get wet.

He Is For You...

Sad, but true. I spent a number of years thinking God was against me.

What then shall we say to these things? 
If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31

What we just read is the truth. We have a heavenly Father who loves us beyond reason and never withdraws, withholds, or revokes His unfailing agape toward us. Yet, we have an enemy. Take him, plus the failings and brokenness of our souls, and it is oh so easy to believe the lie our God is against us.

Most of us aren’t even for our own selves. We know our stuff. You know, the stuff no one sees. And the shame of our stuff lies to us. We can pray up a storm for others, but we can barely lift our eyes to pray and believe our Father would pour out blessings upon us.

If this is you, it is time to break the root of this lie. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where it started – usually in your very early years. Get it taken care of and break the agreement with it. Then, let your Father scoop you up in His arms and whisper His truth into your heart:

He is for you.

Blame Game...

It’s never about others. Jesus is after us...

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves…

2 Corinthians 13:5

It is so easy to look to others as the reason for our unhappiness, our dissatisfaction, or our stuff. If only… we think about those close to us. If only – they were different… We pray and pray for the folks in our lives to change, but God doesn’t seem to answer our prayers. So, we remain stuck. Stuck in our lives.

Does this resonate with you in any way? Have you ever had these thoughts? Been there, done that myself. Yet, it wasn’t until I let Jesus ruthlessly speak into my life about my stuff, my selfishness, and my issues did radical transformation happen in me and around me.

Someone needs to hear this. You are blaming others, yet King Jesus is after you. Nothing is going to change around you until you let Him deal with you first. Stop playing the blame game, because healing and restoration begins with you. Let Him clean your house and then see the bounty of His abundant life explode around you.