a bumpy ride with a stable partner

Well, it has been a while since I've been here. Didn't realize it had been so long. 

Quite the title don't you think? On March 12 my mom had a stroke and fell down 13 steps, head first face down. Quite the wake up call from my dad that morning. When EMS arrived, they suspected a stroke. When we got to the ER, this was confirmed and appropriate actions we taking place. As awful as it was for my dad to find my mom at the bottom of the stairs thinking she had died, it was a blessing because we called 911 right away and she was able to receive the "stroke reversing" medication in time (TPA - needs to be given within four hours of last "normal"). The effects of the stroke were reversing within 30 mins of her getting the medication.

This journey has definitely been bumpy for all of us and a bit frustrating for my mom. But from that very day this all happened we had a partner, a Partner that never left her side and sustained us all through a horrific experience. That night or the next morning, can't remember, the Lord popped a verse and three chapters of scripture into my head. I had learned many years ago to always grab a Bible or write the verses down because I know God is trying to tell me something. Well, that morning the "something" He was trying to tell me has brought hope and encouragement to all of us since we read it and as we continue to read it and remind each other of it. The verse was

Isaiah 40:20

"so that people may see and know,

may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
    that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

I felt sure God was trying to tell us all that my mom’s recovery would be so amazing that people who learned of her stroke would only see God. So far that has definitely been true. All of the medical personnel involved with my mom’s care are amazed at how quickly she is progressing given the location of her stroke and the deficits she has faced and continues to face.

Along with this verse, I was led to read Psalms 91-93. There is too much in those chapters to quote everything but needless to say we found much comfort in them. I hope I don’t forget how my mom laid in her ICU bed, closed her eyes and soaked in the words as my Bible app read those passages to her. The voice was deep and the words soothing as we both listened to the comforting balm of God’s holy words as we held each other’s hands.

God does not always choose to rescue us from disaster or heartache, but He promises to be there for us and with always. He promises to be our ever present help in time of need. We must not become so overwhelmed by the circumstances that we are going through that we do not hear or listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit, as He tries to bring comfort, hope and direction in our time of need.

WHOOSH! into the wilderness with you!

I would love to have a conversation with someone about the verses I’m going to share. My mind has been spinning in a good way since reading it this morning. I have this app for my phone from YouVersion named the Bible. It is one of my favorite apps – I have many apps. What I love about this app is

•  It has the Bible if you want to look something up
• It has reading plans
• It has the ability to read the verse or chapter to you,  perfect for driving
• Verse of the day
•  Bookmarks
•  Notes
•  A notification prompt so you don’t forget to read your Bible

It’s probably not attractive to advertise on your blog but this app has helped my family and friends remain in the Word daily and to also begin an important habit of being in God’s Word. There is no better or more helpful habit than to be in the Word of God and to learn about our Lord Jesus Christ and His love for each of us. Commercial over J

My reading today comes from the reading plan – Devotions for Lent from the Holy Bible. I began today reading in Mark 1. One of the things I love about reading the Bible – God’s living Word – is I can read a passage I have read before and have something from it strike me as something profound and new. What struck me this morning in my reading was Mark 1:11-13:

“And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’  The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.  And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.”

Here Jesus, in an act of obedience and example to the people He came to rescue, gets baptized by John the Baptist. God the Father publically pronounces His blessing and love for Jesus and

 WHOOSHH!

The Spirit drives Him out to the wilderness for forty days to be tempted by Satan, himself. Not exactly the response many of us would expect after such an act of obedience and blessing from the Father himself. After this intense time of temptation, Jesus was ministered to by the angels and His ministry began.

We have no idea what plans Christ has for us. But we do know that His Word promises His presence (Hebrews 13:5), His help (Psalm 46:1), His strength (Philippians 4:13), and His love (Psalm 103:17). I can’t get the  verse from Jeremiah out of my head, I hesitated to use it because it is often misused but I do believe there is comfort here -  Jeremiah 29:11 “I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When your life turns in a direction you were not expecting, a direction that is bringing hardship and /or heartache, do not fear. Christ is with you. He has promised to finish the work He has started in you (Philippians 1:6) and we can NOT know how He will bring about that completion. Hang onto His Word and love. He will not fail you! He may confuse you (Isaiah 55:8-9) but remain faithful and true to the One who remains faithful and true to you.

GOING TO BATTLE

Paul describes to us in Ephesians 6 the armor of God. He takes us through each piece of armor that we have at our disposal as believers in Christ. These pieces of armor are strong and powerful making us ready for any attack of the enemy. You get pumped reading this and even studying it as you learn more about the Roman army which he gets his example from. God’s army is powerful and mighty! Let’s go!

But wait. That is not what he instructs us to do. After he has so greatly described this armor, he tells us to STAND FIRM. We aren’t going into battle in the way we are thinking or have watched in movies. We STAND FIRM and then in verse 18

“…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…” (emphasis mine)

We are to put on our armor, stand firm holding the ground God gave us and we are to pray. He tells us earlier in verse 12 that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

We go to battle with our spiritual armor, fighting a spiritual battle

• ARE YOU READY'!
• STAND FIRM
• PRAY
• KEEP ALERT
• PERSEVERE
• PRAY

Pray without ceasing

As I’ve been reading and going about my day, the verse 1 Thessalonians 5:17 keeps popping into my mind :

 “pray without ceasing.”

Also I have been following the YouVersion phone app using the prayer plan and in that reading I read through the verses that encourage us to come to the Lord over and over again with our requests and remembering that if a father will give his son a loaf of bread when he asks how much more will our heavenly Father give us.

Remember these things as you pray over our requests. Do not get discouraged when you pray the same thing over and over again for the same person. Jesus honors persistence. His timing is not our timing. What is timely and quick for Him may not be quick for us. Ours prayers are precious to Him, even when He hears them over and over again.

Know to whom you pray

When we come boldly and confidently to the Throne Room with our requests, know to whom we pray. We know we are welcome. We know through the invitation and blood of Christ we are allowed there. We know that Jesus loves us and those we pray for. He promises to never leave us nor abandon us. He is all powerful, all knowing and there is no where we can go where He is not already there (Psalm 139); so when we pray confidently, remember who He is.  Do not pray, “Lord, be with him/her,” “Lord love him/her.” Come with thanksgiving,  praying that those you pray for will know Him and see Him; recognize Him and what He is trying to do for each of them.

                “Lord Jesus, thank you for never abandoning us. Thank you, for being with this person. Help this person to see You, to feel Your presence and know and believe that You are there with them always. Thank You for Your enduring love, help this person to receive Your love and know it is from You.”

Don’t pray that Jesus would be who He already is – He is unchanging. Pray that those who you are praying for will see Him, know Him and believe Him.

“Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before”

The trekkie in me couldn’t resist this line. Now I don’t know Klingon nor do I dress up as Star Trek characters but I love all the Star Trek movies and most of the TV shows. I couldn’t resist J

I know that when thinking of the Throne Room of the Most High God and Jesus Christ the King, other men and women have come to both in prayer, so the “no man has gone before,” isn’t accurate. However, it is an inspiring line. Boldly go to the Lord in prayer, enter His Throne Room and make your requests known to Him. We can boldly and confidently come before the Throne in prayer because we know that we have been invited.

Our pastor recently explained to us that Jesus is so passionate about being in a relationship with us, that He has turned over heaven and earth to make a way for us; much like a child, with the help of parents, will turn over the entire house, car and relatives' houses to find a prized blanket. We are important to Jesus. He has invited us to the Throne Room to be in relationship with Him and to talk to Him; so come boldly. Do not come cowering, afraid and shaking, unable to look Him in the eyes. You have been invited. Jesus has died on the cross and shed His blood so that you and I may be clean and able to enter into the presence of the Most High God. He has made a way. Come!

Some may come with timidity, with a slow pace and bowed head. The Bible says Jesus is the lifter of my head (Psalm 3:3). We come with reverence, humility and/or timidity, heads bowed. Jesus meets us and lifts our chins to look us right in the eye. What do we see in His eyes? We see kindness, love and joy. We have come. We have accepted His invitation not just for salvation and forgiveness from sin but also for relationship. Jesus has offered salvation but also relationship. He loves us and He wants to spend time with us. In His eyes we find “welcome, I am so glad you have come.”

Come boldly to the place where you have been invited by the Father and the Son.

Where was Jesus during the Sandy Hook shootings?

“Where was Jesus during the Sandy Hook shootings?”

I believe that Jesus was right there, at the school and in each classroom of Sandy Hook on that day. Why do I believe that? The Bible says that our Father holds the world in His hand; Psalm 139 tells us there is no where we can go where the Spirit of the Lord is not already there. Hebrews 13:5 tells us that Jesus promises to never leave us or abandon us. Where was Jesus that day? Right there in the middle of it.

Why didn’t Jesus stop the shooter from doing those horrific things that day? Why didn’t He prevent that young man from shooting those children and staff at Sandy Hook? I can’t answer that question completely but I can give some thoughts.

·         How often does Jesus make each of us pick up the Bible and read about Him and find the peace and direction that we so often seek?

·         How often does Jesus make us pull into the church parking lot instead of the running errands or sleeping in?

·         How often does Jesus make us stop swearing and using His precious and powerful Name in vain?

·         How often does Jesus make us stop watching, reading and participating in things that do not bring Him honor or do anything good for our own lives or the lives of those we influence?

·          How often doe Jesus make us love Him and follow Him and bring Him honor?

If we enjoy the freedom to choose Jesus or ignore Him or believe that He is not really a part of this world, why do we question His lack of involvement during tragic times like this? The same Jesus, who does not make you or me love Him and follow, did not make Adam Lanza choose Him. Why didn’t Jesus intervene? I cannot answer that question but I can say with confidence that Jesus did many things that day that we will never know this side of Heaven.

So where was Jesus during the Sandy Hook shootings? He was with the teachers and staff of Sandy Hook as they had the presence of mind to hide those children and in some cases stand in the way for those children. He was with those same teachers and staff as they spoke words of encouragement, love and instructions as shots were heard. He gave those teachers and staff strength, wisdom and courage. He brought peace to those children. Where there should have been chaos, crying and screaming there was quiet, love and peace. I will never forget the words of that young teacher interviewed by Diane Sawyer that thought that the last things these children should hear was that they were loved. So she told each of them, “I love you and I am very proud of you.” Jesus was there.

Jesus was there when the father of Emily stood up in front of reporters probably from around the world and proclaimed forgiveness for Adam Lanza and stated that he and his family were praying for Adam’s family because he couldn’t imagine what they were feeling. That father was Jesus in front of all those reporters and in front of the world. I hope that I would be able to so quickly display love, grace and forgiveness so soon after such a horrific time in my life. He was Jesus in that moment.

Do I wish that horrific day had not happened? MOST DEFINITELY!

But I know Jesus was there.

using the Sword of the Spirit

Over the past few weeks we have looked at the verses in Philippians 4:4-7 in terms of your own heart as you pray for others. Today I want to flip that around a bit and give an example of how to pray these same scriptures over someone or yourself in times of need. What does it mean to pray over someone? Prayer in my mind is a way of bringing Christ and His Spirit into a situation, an invitation into someone’s life and even your own life. Our prayer is like a spiritual covering, blanketing that person or yourself with peace, love and power through the prayers you pray.

Our prayers are also a spiritual battle. When we confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will saved (Romans 10:9). At this very time of confession and belief, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us. Therefore, we have a battle between what we would naturally do in our lives and what the Holy Spirit would like us to do. As we fight this battle every day we need weapons. Ephesians 6 speaks of the armor of God. In that armor there is one weapon and it is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. When we go to pray for ourselves or those that requested our prayers, we are going to battle. What better weapon than the Word of God, our powerful sword!

“Lord Jesus, You ask us to rejoice in You and again rejoice. I pray, Lord, that _______ would be able to rejoice at this time. Remind him of Your character and truths he has learned while reading and hearing Your Word. You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Help him to remember this and rejoice in this truth and other truths he has learned, even if he cannot at this time rejoice in his current situation. Help me to be gentle and loving towards _______ when we meet. Give me Your understanding and love so I might be a help to him, when he seeks it. Thank You, Lord, that You are near and that You are willing and able to help in this situation. Help ______ to know and believe that You are near to him. Open his eyes that he may see evidence of You, his ears that he may hear You and his heart that he may receive the truths and comforts You are sending him and know and believe that You are near. Help him to surrender his anxiety about this situation to You. Remind of Your faithfulness to him in the past, answers to prayers and provisions, so that he may come to You with a heart of thankfulness as he seeks Your help. Right now in the days to come may he be blanketed by Your peace. Peace that he cannot explain that covers him completely. Help ______ to recognize that this peace comes from You, so that once again he may recognize Your provision, even as he waits for You to take care of this problem for him. Help him not to just come to You for a resolution of this problem but to come to You for help, peace, power and comfort during this time. Give him the strength he needs to wait on You during this time.”

Notice that I did not address the prayer request but prayed for the person using this passage of scripture. Many times during our trials Jesus is working on our hearts to perfect us as the Bible explains in many places but also in Philippians 1:6. After you have prayed for the person and his/her heart and ability to receive from Christ what He is trying to send to this person, most definitely pray for the situation or incorporate the request in the prayer as you pray for the person’s heart.

The Word of God is powerful and sharper than a two edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). Use it in strength and power as you pray for yourself and others.

Peace that transcends all understanding

In the past weeks we have been looking closely at each verse in the passage of Philippians 4:4-7. I think that at times it is good to go through passages slowly for better understanding and meditation. The final verse in this passage is something that I believe is accomplished after the previous recommendations have been followed.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This is not to say that the peace of God will not find you unless you follow “x,y, and z.” However, in regard to this passage Paul is telling us that as we come to the Lord in prayer in the way he has instructed the result will be a peace that we cannot explain that will guard our hearts and minds.

Wow! Our God is certainly amazing! He asks us to intercede on behalf of others. He tells us how to do it. Then He tells us that He will give us a peace that is indescribable and will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Again I must reiterate here that whatever Christ requires or asks, He also provides the means to do. Remember there was a “disturbance” in their church because of two women fighting. Paul instructs the body to pray. After this church prays in the way Paul suggests, he informs them that they will find peace and protection. And all of this comes from Jesus Christ Himself!

The cares and prayer requests of those we love and serve can, at times, be heavy to bear. We have the possibility of becoming vulnerable to agitation, fear, overwhelming sadness or worry, when we are given prayer requests. We must remember that we come on behalf of others out of love for them and for our Lord. We boldly come before the Throne of God with these precious requests and we leave them right there, at His feet. We are making a deposit, so to speak. We come and give Him the concern and request and leave it at His feet to handle the result. We come concerned and sometimes heavy or even weeping for those we pray for and then how to we leave His Throne Room? We leave with a peace that transcends all understanding that also gives our hearts and our minds protection.

It strikes me that as I read this last paragraph over again, it clearly comes from a woman's heart or at least this woman's heart that so easily empathizes with others. But as I think how my husband may come (I have not asked him if this is accurate), I could see him coming in strength and protection for those he is praying for. He would not come necessarily weeping but ready to do battle. I also can see him leaving still ready for battle and trying to figure out how best to conquer this battle. This person too must leave with peace and protection. The battle is the Lord's. You come in strength ready to go to battle for others, leave the quest at His feet and leave in peace knowing that this General is mighty and strong and will care for His people. When and if He asks for your assistance, you will know it. But your part in the battle at this time is done. You have left the concern at His feet, leave in peace.

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." Isaiah 26:3

Our prayers are precious to Jesus

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

There are times when we come to the Lord with prayers and intercessions that we find ourselves anxious about the situation or person we are praying for especially if it involves us and/or someone we care about. Here Paul instructs us to be anxious for no thing.

There is nothing too big for our God, nothing our God cannot handle. He has promised to never leave or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5). He says in His Word in many places that He does listen to us and hear our prayers. Revelations 5:8 and 8:3-4 speak of the prayers of the saints being presented to God in His throne room in a golden bowl as incense. God not only hears our prayers, they are placed in a golden bowl (a place of honor) as incense next to Him for Him to breathe them in and make them a part of who He is. Our prayers are precious to Him. We have nothing to be anxious for because our God cares for us and loves us (1 Peter 5:7). We and our requests are important to Him.

Paul also instructs us to come with thanksgiving. Over the years this part of intercession has become easier for me but when I first started coming to the Lord in the way Paul is instructing us, this part was difficult. I couldn't and still am not always able to come with a heart thankful for the prayer requests I am praying about. Some requests are too painful to be thankful for at the initial time of intercession. But as I prayed through this verse and asked God for clarification it became clear to me that God understood my pain and difficulty in not always being thankful for the trials and tribulations I was praying for. What then started to roll through my mind was the many blessings, times of faithfulness, and answers to prayer God had given to me in the past. These things I could be thankful for. If I could remember and be thankful for past answers and evidences of His faithfulness to me and those I prayed for, I could now come to Him with these current requests with a thankful heart.  

Come to the Throne Room with confidence, hope, gentleness, without anxiety and present your requests to Jesus with a thankful heart knowing and remembering His faithfulness and love for you and those you pray for today.