Prayer Break

Father, I am writing this in obedience to your command. I thank you for your covering over your people even when they are in the throes of sleep and dreams. Thank you for dispatching your angels to stand guard around us, protecting us from danger that is hidden, as well as that which is clear and present. Lord, I pray right now for those who are standing in the valley of decision, trying to decipher what they are to do. I ask you to give clear direction, release wisdom from on high, and send your warrior angels to deal with demonic resistance.

God, you are calling your people to arise and take authority over all the works of the enemy. Even now some of our coworkers are contemplating violence, living lives of quiet desperation. Lord, help us to see their need and address it by the power of the Spirit. There are some whose relationships are torn, and we have not mended them. Hearts are broken, and we have not applied the Balm of Gilead. Even in Your Kingdom, Lord, there are those who are in need of healing and restoration. Let your people arise to become an instrument of restoration. We know that you are allowing us to be tested and tried, we know that our hidden sin is being exposed, and we repent for harboring any thought, attitude, or action that is contrary to your will. We acknowledge that false religion is rampant, and that even the very elect is being deceived by watered-down forms of Christianity. Your word declares that many of us have zeal, but not according to knowledge. Your word also tells us that some of us have a form of godliness, but we have denied the very power that godliness provides. Help us to turn from our wicked ways. Heal our land. Forgive our sin. Help us to reclaim our children, and our children's children, for you. We declare that we will no longer sit idly by and speak negatively about our youth; rather, we will embrace them and teach them about you with purity and Godly sincerity. We will not shake our heads in despair over our situations - over challenges - over disappointments - over failures - but instead we will arise and praise you.

God we bless you for healing in our families, friends, and surroundings. We believe in prosperity of mind, body, soul, spirit, finances, homes, businesses, employers, ministries, churches, pastors, leaders - all that you desire to bless. Our prayer is collective - we believe, and we receive. We thank you, we honor you, we adore you, we trust you, Lord, we bless you! You are indeed the source of our strength. You are without a doubt the strength of our lives. Even now we lift our hands and bless you. We give you total praise. We thank you for sending your Son to die for us, and we thank you that he has risen from the dead. We thank you for the gift of eternal, abundant life. We thank you that both now - in this time - and in the life to come, you will restore all that has been taken from us by our enemies. Let God arise, and the enemy be scattered! And teach us, again, to fight together, warring on each other's behalf, for release and for increase. Let your prophets speak, and your anointing flow, until the glory of the Lord is revealed throughout the earth. In the powerful name of Jesus, we offer this prayer. Amen.

Wisdom Speaks from Proverbs 31

Wisdom Speaks:

Pro 31:1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
Pro 31:2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?

Even though there is the much-lauded description of the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31, the first two verses are my favorites. I love the acknowledgment of King Lemuel's mother, the mention of the fact that she taught him, prepared him to be a king. The Bible does not say when she taught him; it only tells us that she did. She acknowledged him as her son, but she did not stop there: she said "son of my womb," which implies that he was the product of her own body, not borne to her by anyone else. And finally, she calls him "son of my vows," which implies that he was born to a marriage which she honored and treasured. Our children may not have been born to such ideal circumstances. Perhaps you have not had a natural child. But you are still endued with the power to instruct kings. Be it your natural children or children of God who need help, you can honor your vows to God by instructing kings. Help them learn to exercise authority, to operate in wisdom, to use good judgment. If you read the next verses in Proverbs 31, you will see that King Lemuel's mother instructed him to avoid things that would taint his kingship. This is a valuable lesson that should be taught to all of God's kings and priests on the earth. Wisdom says that kings have to be prepared, taught how to be what they already are before it is manifested to the world. We used to have church mothers, called by many "mothers in Zion." They taught us holiness, whether we wanted to know about it or not. They prepared us to live in the kingdom of God. I submit you do not have to be elderly to fit the bill. Dispense wisdom to the kings in your sphere of influence. Many of them do not recognize who they are - who they should be. The next generation needs Godly mothers in order to learn how to become kings.

Wisdom Speaks from Proverbs 23

Wisdom Speaks:

17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But be zealous for the fear of the LORD all the day;
18 For surely there is a hereafter,
And your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23:17-18 (NKJV). Sometimes it seems very hard to keep things in perspective. It is far easier to be distracted by what appears to be the progress of someone around you, especially if they do not follow the Lord. Believers sometimes get frustrated, thinking that it is unfair that those who don't regard the Lord are having a better time of life than they are. But the truth is revealed in the Bible. Wisdom says it is better to be consistent in your zeal - in your fear of the Lord - knowing that you have an expectation that is far greater than anyone's temporary gain. There is a powerful promise - your hope will not be cut off. Keep in mind that the moment you are in is just that - a moment. It is not the end. I can't say it any better than the word, "For surely there is a hereafter." After this, I will still be here! And so will you.


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Wisdom Speaks from Proverbs 21

Wisdom Speaks:

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Proverbs 21:1. This is good news for those of us who have matters resting in the hands of someone in authority over us. It is great that your affairs appear to rest in this "king's" hand, but it is greater still that that king's heart is in the Lord's hand. Now I ask you to consider, whose hand is bigger, stronger, more powerful? The King of Kings has authority over any king on the earth. Wisdom says that you should ask your Heavenly King for favor - trust Him to turn the heart of someone who seems to be reluctant to decide in your favor. Remember what wisdom said - your situation is just like the rivers of water which are controlled by God. He can turn things around at any time.Search Amazon.com for favor of god

Wisdom Speaks from Proverbs 19

Wisdom speaks: "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying." Proverbs 19:18. Does anybody else remember the days when we knew we were going to be physically chastised for wrongdoing? And the discipline session that started with,

"This hurts me more than it hurts you"?

You know I never believed that one! Or how about this:

"I'd rather beat you now than have the police beat you later."

Didn't understand that one either, that is, until I had a child of my own. What is happening nowadays? Parents are afraid to discipline their children. Even those as young as two or three are allowed to say and do whatever they want with no adverse consequences. No wonder they become spoiled and self-centered and place very little value on human life. Wisdom says that parents should instill discipline in their children before they get too old for change. While there is hope that they will become well-mannered citizens of society, we have to provide the loving guidance that discipline really is. It is not just punishment, although sometimes that is necessary. Discipline involves teaching. Who better to teach your child to become someone you can be truly proud of than you? It is hard sometimes, for we do not ever want to see our children hurt or deny them anything they desire. But we must have hope that our loving teaching and training will help them to fulfill the will of God in their lives. Thanks, Mom, for all those times you brought me back into line - you had hope! I just wish hope hadn't hurt so bad. :-)
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Wisdom Speaks from Proverbs 18

Wisdom Speaks: "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." Prov. 18:10. One of my favorite songs back in the day was "Who Can I Run To?" by the Jones Girls (yes, I'm that old). It was actually remade by a couple of times that I know of, the last by a gospel group, Ricky Dillard & New G. Their version finally answered the question - even though the Bible had the answer all the time. I can run to the Lord no matter what situation I am facing and so can you. His name, applied correctly, is a STRONG tower that no enemy can penetrate. Wisdom says learn to hide yourself in the name of the Lord. Run into it when life's issues are trying to overtake you. You will be safe.

My Scars Remind Me

The other day I spent a long time looking at the bottom of my left foot. Yes, the bottom of my left foot. Not both feet, but the left in particular.

You see, the bottom of my left foot is quite different from the right. It is scarred - the result of a staph infection that left me on antibiotics for over a year. That foot hurt so bad when the infection first started that I could not stand on it. It got so bad that I had to have surgery to remove the skin. The infection was so serious that when the skin grew back, the infection came back with it.

But you really don't need all the details. What I was thinking of as I stared at the scars on my foot were the days that I went to work and church with a house shoe and bandages. The days that I sang on the praise team seated on a stool because I could not stand. The day that I cried because I was finally able to wear a shoe - a flip-flop - for the first time in months.

The scars remind me of the news report I saw that profiled a woman my exact age who died as a result of the same type of infection. The reports said she got it at a nail salon and the infection traveled to her heart and killed her.

And I love my scars. I love them because they remind me of God's faithfulness. They remind me that God's report takes precedence over what the "experts" say and think. The scars remind me how I was told that the infection would spread, but miraculously, it stayed confined to that one foot. The scars remind me, sometimes by hurting, that I am still alive despite what I went through.

And they will do the same for you. I was thinking that perhaps Thomas wanted to see Christ's nail-scarred hands because he knew that scars would prove that healing had taken place. You can only be scarred, after all, if a wound has healed.

Be encouraged to take some time to observe your own scars. They will remind you that even though you were wounded, you were also healed! You lived to fight another day. And you have the victory over what hurt you, because you are still here and the pain, the sickness, the disease, is gone.

Jesus' scars were for our healing (Isaiah 53; 2 Peter 2), but He is alive and lives forever! Our scars may be our witness to others of the healing power of Jesus.

So yes, I stared at my scars, but not really to be reminded of the pain. My scars are my reminder that God is able - that He is a healer - and that He delivered me! When things threaten to overwhelm me, when sickness comes upon me, I remember the scars - mine - and the stripes - Christ's. Both of them remind me that whatever I am going through is not permanent - it is only for a moment.

And I will live again. So will you.