Have you heard the call?  I am talking about the call to prayer!  I am hearing it like never before! God is looking for someone to “stand in the gap” for His lost sheep. To cry out for revival. To pray for His Bride. That she (the Church) would be found “without spot or wrinkle.”

Though I have shared a little about this before, I would like to share the most revolutionary prayer help I have discovered.   It is the model that Jesus Himself left for us….The Lord’s Prayer!

I have been using the Lord’s Prayer as a road map to pray the needs that come my way, and I feel that my prayers are becoming more effective and according to Biblical standards.  Here is what I mean as I have been praying for a particular desperate need of someone for whom I have been asked to pray:

Our Father, who art in Heaven (We are both your children and I know that You  love her. You are her Abba Father Who rules & reigns in all things from your throne in heaven, so You are well able to rule in her life!) Hallowed be Thy name, (You are the Holy One, Whose name is Higher than any other, on whom I call for this dear one and her family. May their hearts be ever aware of Your Holy Presence and of  who You are, for Your name’s sake!)   Thy Kingdom Come (Let Your Kingdom be established in her body itself!  Invade her world, her consciousness, and her hospital room…draw her near and heal her!) Thy Will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. (I know that this disease and condition do not exist in heaven, so I  pray that it would be so in her own earth-life! Raise her up from the bed of affliction, to know heaven-sent health.)  This phrase is especially good for praying for healing. Is there sickness in heaven?  No! So let health come just like it is in heaven! This is the will of God!  Give us this day our daily bread. (Father,  may she begin to have a supernatural hunger for the Bread of Life!  Feed her, Jesus, with your own love for her. And may she begin to eat food without the aid of feeding tubes. To chew and swallow on her own.) And forgive us our debts, (Wash her and all of her caregivers in the precious Blood of the Lamb, Lord, and let them find Your abundant forgiveness. Mercy and grace be upon them all.) as we forgive our debtors (break any chains of unforgiveness and woundedness that might keep her bound.)  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Stay the hand of her most powerful enemy! Keep her in the evil day! Rebuke the evil one who stalks her, in Jesus’ name!) For THINE is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever!   (Heal her for Your Kingdom; heal her by Your mighty power; heal her for Your glory! That she may dwell in the house of the Living God forevermore and testify of Your abundant goodness!)   AMEN!

And now I feel I have prayed an effective prayer for this precious hurting sister.  I have prayed according to the Word and will of God, and I am looking for the answer!  Oh, I will keep praying, for the Holy Spirit has laid a share of this family’s burden upon my heart.

I haven’t found a need yet that I cannot apply the Lord’s model. Healing, salvation, revival, provision, wisdom, guidance.  It is all covered when you pray for the Kingdom to come upon this earth, as it is in heaven!  God wants heaven on earth! That is why He made a way to live in His people. That is also why He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts, so that once we have prayed with our understnding, we will also be able to pray “in the Spirit,” interceding with “groanings that cannot be uttered.”  (Romans 8:26 KJV) in an even deeper dimension of prayer. May our earthly lives be established in the heavenly power given by the Spirit of the Living God who dwells in our hearts!

Let’s Pray:  Father, remind us each day how You would have us to pray.  Stir us up by the Holy Spirit to pray as You would lead. Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on this earth, just as it is in heaven. In jesus’ name, 

Amen

Here is a beautiful song of prayer and worship.  Christa Wells and Nicole Witt.  Enjoy.

Picture it with me: A beautiful garden; birdsong; warm breezes; trees laden with fruit; streams of fresh cool water.        And a walk with the Lord of All Creation in the cool of each day!

And what else? What is that hissing sound? “Psssssst! Over here! This tree; this fruit.” And the bite that changed it all.

Disobedience.    Fear.   Shame.
The Creator coming to fellowship with His creature, and the ancient question, “Where are you?”  Where, indeed?

Hiding in fear and shame. Hiding . From the Presence of the Lord God, who wanted to walk and commune with them in the cool of the day. Hurrying to fashion fig leaves as a covering to hide the thing that they had done, the thing that revealed their true, fallen selves.  As though they could hide anything from the loving Father who knows all things.  He asked the question, not because He didn’t know where they were, but because He wanted them to see where they were.  To consider the gravity of what they had done.  Why they were hiding from Him.

If you listen, God is still asking His creature the ancient question to this day. “Where are you?”  Where, indeed?
It is the question we must always consider because we are creatures living in a fallen and cursed world, easily led down the wide and deceptive road to destruction. Navigating slippery slopes and sorrowful swamp lands. With an enemy who would entice us away from the Presence of the Lord God.

It seems to me that  “big bite,” instead of making them wise, made them very, very foolish. I mean, look at them, who had never known fear or shame before, trembling in fear of being found out by their Father.

We shake our heads at Adam and Eve and say, “What were you thinking?” First they trusted the serpant; and now they were trying to hide from an all-knowing God.  Silly people.  “I would never have been so foolish!”

Really?  Let’s ask ourselves the ancient question.  “Where am I?”  Am I hiding? Is there something I foolishly think I am hiding from Lord God?  (I am using the term Lord God, because in the original language it means Adonai Jehovah – Master/Lord, and I Am, Ever-present One. Can your really hide from HIM?)  Do we fashion excuses like fig leaves, to cover the places that we have yet to yield to the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit?  Do we pluck the leaves from the tree of rationalization to cover the things we are ashamed of?  Are we sewing intricate aprons of self-deception? He wants to fellowship with us! Are we hiding from His Presence?  “Where are you?”

Listen! As He did for Adam and Eve, Lord God has provided a Lamb. Yes, God Himself gave them clothes of animal skins.  Blood was shed to cover their shame.  And the precious blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, was shed to cloth us in robes of righteousness.

And these beautiful garments are so much better.  They don’t just cover, like our fig leaf duds. They replace sin and the shame. Jesus took our sins!  We are washed clean and clothed from on high!

So, come out of hiding!  Answer the ancient question, “Where are you?” with “Here am I, Lord God!” Lay your every fear and shame before Him and He will cleanse you from every bit of it. Be clothed with the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, and walk in fellowship with Him.  Live in the Presence of the Lord!

Let’s pray:  Dear Lord God, You who sees it all and loves us still, help us to make you truly Lord/Master of our lives. We open our deepest hearts to You to.  We give it all to You, to wash as white as snow.  What an amazing love You have poured out on us.  Make us truly, completely Yours.  In Jesus name,

Amen

Here we are! 2016! An election year in America.  It is shaping up to be a year of controversy, division, and discord like never before.  Since you are reading this on an electronic devise of some kind, I can assume that you are connected to what is happening in the news. All those opinions being shouted from the screen!  Talking heads yelling at each other; calling names; slinging mud!   Yeah, I’ve promised myself to limit the input of the animosity  that flows through the media and tries to take hold in my spirit.

         I do NOT want  to become this woman!!>>>>

So….I am reminding myself of the Word we just walked through in Dec., Isaiah 9: 6,7

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and justice form henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.  (emphasis mine)

Yes, I know it is talking about the government of the Kingdom of God, and there is much yet to come concerning the God’s plan for the ages and for His Kingdom.  But, I am already a citizen of that Kingdom!  So I am choosing to lift up my head every day, and let the King of Glory come in and rule and reign here and now!  

We need eyes to see and ears to hear the sights and sounds of the invisible Kingdom.  John the Baptist shouted, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”  (Matt 3:11)  Right here; right now!  Not in some far away future!

And Jesus had this to say:  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.  (Luke 17: 20-21)

Within you.  Within.  You.

This is a sure thing!  His Kingdom! Now!!  Isaiah prophesied it:  “from henceforth even forever.”  From this time forward!  He is the Lord of Hosts!   Lord: (meaning Jehovah; I AM; Self-existent One) of Hosts: (meaning Mighty Heavenly Armies.)  He has performed it in His zeal!  Because of His great passion, He has given us His Son to bring us into His Kingdom, and to rule and reign, to govern forever.

His Kingdom is real!

His Kingdom is now!

Let us choose to walk in it now!  Let us learn to focus on the reality we cannot see with our eyes, but which we can know in the Spirit.  His Kingdom, now!  His glory, now!         

 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.  Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.  Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. (Psalm 24: 7-10)

Let’s pray:  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, we want to walk and move and live in Your Kingdom, and in the awareness of all that means. Now. Here on earth.  As we lift up our gates and invite you to come in, we pray that You will enter and be our Sovereign Lord. That You will govern us in Your Justice and Mercy.   May Your Kingdom come & your will be done in us today.  In Jesus Name we pray.

Amen

Jesus said, “One thing is needful…” One thing, Lord?  Only one?  But, I have a LOT of things that I “need” to do, to get, to take care of ….I think we’d better take a closer look at that!  So let’s look at Luke 10: 38 – 42  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10%3A38-42   (There ya’ go! I put in a link so you can go right now & read it for yourself.)  Verse 40 describes me, uh, I mean Martha…”cumbered about much serving.” She wants Jesus to tell her sister Mary, who is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Him teach, to get up and help her! After all there were so many guests in the house, friends and followers of Jesus, who needed to be served! I’ll bet she was surprised when Jesus rebuked her!  “Martha, Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. ”    “One thing is needful…”  and Mary knew what it was. Sitting at Jesus’ feet, receiving His word!

So, I have only one resolution for this new year, because only one thing is needful: to sit at His feet and receive His word.

I asked the Lord if He would give me a word to encourage me in this pursuit, and He did:    Devotion

I am asking Him to bring to me a real understanding of what being devoted to Him means.   Webster says: to give one’s complete attention, or to apply one’s time zealously to some activity, pursuit, or cause; to dedicate; to consecrate.

In the book of Leviticus if something was devoted  it was set aside for sacred use, and could not be bought or sold.  (Lev. 27) It was dedicated to the use of the priesthood/ministry. Set aside; consecrated; zealous!  The better part! That is what I want. How about you? Let’s find the “one thing” that is needful this year. Let us choose the better part, along with Mary. Devoted to Him.

Let’s Pray:  Father, teach us the lesson of the “one thing” that is needful in Your eyes.  Sitting at Your feet, receiving Your Word!  In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!

Well, we’ve turned the page! It is 2016! A brand new year! Where ya’ goin’? Are you making your plans about what this year will look like and setting your compass? Are you making changes? Resolutions for a better life? A better you?

My destination is Higher Ground! I am going up! I want to live in that place of “…on earth, as it is in heaven!”  I have found a key and going to use it!  Since I can’t explain it as well as author Ann Voskamp in her book “One Thousand Gifts, a Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are,”  I am recommending her book to everyone I meet! Finally, after decades of being a Christian, filled with the Holy Ghost, and serving Jesus the best I knew how, but knowing that “something was missing” from my walk, I am discovering what it is!  The Thankful Heart!

Oh, I wish that sounded a little more earth shaking!  Action packed!  Because the reality is that it has shaken me, and caused me to act!  Let me explain.  I have always been a “Martha” Christian. Busy work horse, go getter, grab-it-and- growl-gotta’-please Him kind of Christian.  Shine; serve; work. It can happen in ministry! Kind of exhausting. So this year I feel the Lord calling me to sit at His feet like Mary and learn something new: How to be thankful.

When it really came down to it, I was horrified that I could not think of things for which I was truly thankful!  My mind was blank. My heart felt like a stone! Oh, I know the list of obvious things: family, friends, church, provision. But to be honest, my heart didn’t swell with gratitude or appreciation when I named those things, like I thought it should.  So with fear and trepidation I picked up my pen and started my list of “One Thousand Gifts.”  A thousand?  Really, Lord?

So, as I sat quietly before the Lord that table grace began to play in my mind: “For these, Thy gifts, we are about to receive, make us truly grateful. Amen”  Then, I saw, heard, and felt:  Sunshine through windows.  If you know the Craigs well, you know that my husband likes to keep the curtains closed because he feels it keeps the electric bill lower.  So we don’t always have a lot of sunshine streaming through our windows, but I realized that I DO love it so.

So, I went to the kitchen to open the blinds and let the sunshine stream in!  Uh…not so much, through those grimy sliders and windows!  Then it hit me!  Even though I love clean windows with sunshine streaming in…I had neglected this gift. I hadn’t expressed, “Thank You, Lord!” by keeping them clean & sparkly so that I could enjoy my gift of the Florida sunshine streaming into my house!  And as I began to name other gifts that I  love, I realized that they showed signs of my neglect, too.  Sigh…  “Truly thankful?”  “Truly…?”

So this gratitude, this thankfulness,  is not just an attitude, or way of thinking. It is a way of living, much different from what I am used to.  Showing my gratitude to Him. Worshipping Him in my gratitude  This is not Martha kind of work…this is worship! It is going to be a life on Higher Ground!  Who knew that washing windows could be an act of worship? Thank You, so much, Jesus for loving me enough to teach me how to live for You!

Let’s pray: Lord, Thank you for this great Salvation. For redeeming us from the curse of this world. Lift us up; make us better; draw us closer to you. Make us to know that in You is all that we need for the life and godliness You have called us to on earth.  A life that is preparing us for life in heaven!  You are coming soon and we want to be able to step into heaven, having experienced it on earth. In Jesus’ name,

Amen

P.S. After I prayed the prayer about making me truly thankful, the flood of gifts has overtaken me.  I can’t name them fast enough to write them all down.  “One Thousand Gifts?”  I might just make it!