Healing and prayer room M-Sa 10-12 Pst

Sunday, June 27, 2010

A Contrite Heart

When I pray, I go for the gutsto. I go for where the root of it all is and that's the heart.

I was reading the other day during devotions Psalm 51. From verses 15 to 19 it shows what God wants from us.

"O Lord open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifce, or I would bring it. You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and a contrite heart. O God, you will not despise. In you good pleasure make Zion propers. build up the wall of Jersalem. Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar."

As I was walking through the San Fransico Airport I was watching people walking around or sitting in the food court on cells, computers and reading Wall street journals. Some in expensive suits and some in jeans and polo shirts making deals and doing whatever in the business world. There were moms whose strollers were filled with extra luggage and had children in tow either in a carrier on their chest or they held their hand with one of their own while pushing the stoller with the other.

One this day and when we returned the security level was at an orange.

Even though I had what is the equivalent of an associate degree in business related skills (I do have a diploma at least that says I have this!), I don't get what is going on as I watch these activities. The mom thing I could definitely get, (even with one child but I do have nieces and nephews that I took with me places too, just not in an airport!). I thought of the orange alert that we were at, and my heart cried out for them, as much as they were planning and such were they prepared that they may not make it to their next destination and had they prepared themselves for the afterlife?

I prayed over the airport during the time I had left, but I know God is preparing me for a longer time of praying when I return. I need to plan accordingly for that event as well.

Something that thrilled me while at PrayerQuake 2010 was that the govenor of Arizona has declared a week of prayer and fasting for the state!

I love it! A time for Arizona to get on its knees and ask God for wisdom in how to handle the events of their state! A time for hearts to be geared and to be contrite towards Him for the answer. I don't know if the Govenor is a believer of Christ, but the fact that he took this stand speaks volumes for who he is trusting in.

When I pray, like I said I go for the heart. Its the heart that beats for Christ that will show Christ to the world. I don't understand all that about business as its changed so much from when I got my diploma. I'd be lost trying to figure out a plan for whatever anyone was trying to plan for their meeting. Even when we broke up in groups in one of the classes I was listening to more strategies to teach someone how to pray and I felt as if my response would not fit. Talk to God from your heart, tell Him is in it. He wants to know you some much more then you want to know Him. He wants your heart to beat as His beats.

There's a new journey forming with in me. Its has to do with a word God gave me before I left for PrayerQuake about no passivity in Brookings. No more putting off what needs to be done because of lack. We need to get up and move. The body of Christ needs to wake up, because if we are asleep, so is Christ because we are members of his Body.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Sometimes we just have to go through the blahs

Back in February with I was dismissed from my employment even though I handled it well and went back to work for former clients and took on a new one in home care, I was really having a tough time trying to get it "together".

I like to be active, like to have things to do all the time and down times are rare for me as I am always doing something with my hands.

Since February I was feeling kind of blah, not really wanting to do much of anything. I started studying a new children's church series and was getting used to writing everything out by hand as I didn't have the programs or items I needed to present it in the manner I'd been taught while working with Child Evangelism Fellowship.

An event a couple of weeks ago kind of woke me up. My mom was in the hospital and at one night after a family graduation I went back to say good night. Other family members had already gone home.

While there talking with my mom I remembered how I treated those while in the nursing home. My goal was to treat them as as if they were my own family members.

Now someone dear to me was in that postion. At that moment while I was in the room alone with her I woke up from the blah feeling that had been hammering me for months. It was then realized where I was to be from now on.

During "blah" times that God brings us through are not times that He lets us dilly dally either. He does keep us busy with projects that at the time seem useless but when the "blahs" have receded we find that the projects that looked rather out of place fit together in the this picture puzzle God has of our lives.

Since February I'd been a vegetarian/vegan more times then not. (In the last three weeks that lifestyle went out the window, but is slowing coming back).

I learned last week that I've been actually working on feeding my soul during the blah times. Learning more of what God wants my soul to be fed to please Him as I am His employee. I had thought I had forgotten that, but I've been in His employment as a "Blah Supervisor"for quite awhile. (Hubby has stated when I get more blah then him we are in trouble!)

It sometimes is hard to see if He's a good God when we see all that is taking place in the world. But He really is a good God. He provides goodness for those who trust in Him. Sometimes we have to go through the blahs to see His goodness.

"I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the my God, then dwell in the tents of the wicked". Psalm 84:10b is a very good example.

Being in His presence of protection give you insight to what is going on around you. His nature is good as He has wonderful things to give us to enrich us. But as humans we have a human nature and we tend to go for the tents in our blah times because we don't think we deserve to live in His House and His courts even though as children we have those times to use to grow closer to Him.

Even when David was in the strongholds in 2 kings he felt as if God had deserted him. Instead, God brought to him those that were broken hearted, in debt and it was those that David learned to use as his army to fight Saul. David was in God's protection and he saw that those who were in dispair had hearts that matched the burden of his own. He knew who he could trust to carry out his orders.

So when you are in the "blahs", look to see how to use thise time for His glory. Chances are He already started preparing you for your next assignment.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Watching God's plan in the ones you love

This has been a tough week for several people that I know including myself. Through personal events and watching friends go through their own crisis its been a trying time for everyone.

I've had some inner issues I've had to work through only because I've seen things from a different perspective in certian events this week. In doing so I became stressed and more cautious over those involved. This morning I was getting my coffee ready and thinking of this situation, my mood was a bit off in that I was worried about something and as an afterthought thought "Oh well God's in the situation". That was when I felt that "smack" on the side of the head that I get when I know its time to wake up and smell the coffee!. (In reality, its no joke now. I used that phrase so much that one time when I used it I was in the coffee ailse at Krogers/Fred Meyers.)

One of the many things I learned this week was that we aren't to touch God's anointing. I also take this to mean that when God is working in someone's life, no matter what it is we are not to interfer with our own judgements or perspectives in whatever they are going through. God's plan is infinite and He is a soveriegn God and is working in all lives including those we love. In other words we don't let our pride get in the way of what He's ultimate plan is in someone elses life.

I'll take this a step further. As believers in Christ, we are one body. Keeping that in mind we all go through different stages in our lives because of whatever we brought into the family of God from our past, "which we are allowed to look at through the blood of Christ" ( a quote from a sermon from Bill Johnson). As it states in Roman's 8:1" For there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus".

Being now adopted into the family of God we are now striving to be like Him, but are working through and learning to leave behind that which we brought into God's family with us and remembering that its covered by His blood. We need to remember Prov 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him and He will direct our paths". We must allow God to manifest Himself His way, which to quote Bill Johnson a second time "He manifests opposite to the manner of the day".

What may have taken place in one person may not take place in another because of what they are bringing in the situation. In thinking on this and also that I learned this week to be careful how I treat God's anoited I was able to apply it to the situation I was dealing with. I now have a new understanding of the events that have taken place. He is using them for His Glory and my attitude of being stressed and cautious wasn't helping the work He was doing.

So after repenting of this one (Its too early in the morning to start this!) I now have better thoughts of the situation and know that its part of God's plan. Its going to be amazing to see what He does, in addition to all that He's done this week!