Listen, Obey, Trust - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 12, 2022

When the Lord speaks to you, it is imperative that you obey Him fully.

That statement makes sense to you, right? There's nothing complicated about it, correct? Yet, we each neglect to actually apply the statement in our everyday life. Or am I the only one?

This week, I was in a tough situation. I felt unwell, needed to sleep and all around me was chaos. As is my normal, I took a second and spoke to the Lord asking Him whether or not I should do something. In His kindness, He told me to do what I asked about. But, what did I do? I second-guessed what I'd heard. I chose, instead, to rely on my own understanding rather than the word of the Lord. In fact, I did what others would consider normal, ignoring that my God works in supernatural ways.

What was the result? More chaos. And, at the end of the day, I was frustrated and tired.

Nevertheless, the Lord helped me understand a few basic things. First, when the Lord talks to you, listen (James 1:19). Take the time you need to hear His voice and if you need clarity, don't hesitate to ask more questions. Second, when the Lord talks to you, obey. God is very efficient with His word so no word He speaks will ever be wasted (Isaiah 55:11). Therefore, if He says something, do that something. Third, when the Lord talks to you, trust. Trust is a crucial element in obedience. It requires one to move in faith even when what the Lord has said makes no sense and others think God's way is ridiculous.

Now, if you are wondering whether or not God speaks to people, please believe me - He does. God's voice is audible and can be heard by individuals today the way Abraham heard that voice. The way Paul heard. God talks to people all day long and wants to speak to each of us more than we realize. God also speaks to people through the Bible and in so many other ways. If you are yet to hear the Lord speak to you, please pray to hear Him. It is that voice that guided David, giving him war strategies to overcome his enemies. God's voice edified the apostles in the New Testament. Jesus Himself listened to and complied with the voice of the Lord. If it was good for Him, then you know that same voice is great for you.

Please don't make my mistake of not listening to the Lord by doing what He said. If, however, you neglect to obey and trust the Lord's word to you, please repent for your disobedience. I did and received understanding of many things. While I wish I hadn't made such a 'rookie mistake', I thank the Lord for the privilege of being able to pray for forgiveness and receive it from Him. That same mercy is available for all of us, praise God!!

See you at Noon EST! May the Lord bless you.

God Saves - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) August 9, 2022

I recently read the following scripture and was overjoyed in my spirit.

John 6:37 - All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

John 10: 28 - I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

The verses reminded me that it is God who works to save people. He opens His hand to individuals and when they take it, He leads them to Jesus Christ. Jesus has promised to never reject anyone that the Lord hands over to Him. He has promised that not one of these people can be stolen from Him.

Those who have taken God's hand and submitted to the Lord must remember that He is working things out so as to get them to heaven. Will there be missteps on their part? Certainly! However, the Lord is very kind and patient, He works with everyone to overcome all personal challenges, regardless of what they are. You can be struggling with masturbation, profanity or any other sin, God will help you so that sin is not your master (Romans 6:14). When you fall to sin, repent, and work harder to overcome what aims to hold you back.

The only question is will you cooperate with Jesus to get to the ultimate destination? While He's molding you, will you try to live in accordance with His word? Will you show the love He shows you to others? Will you be willing to let go of the sin that limits your spiritual growth and hampers your relationship with Him?

In addition, keep this scripture in mind when praying for others. Use it to call on the Lord to bring people into communion with Him. For God wants all souls to be saved so align in prayer with this objective by pronouncing the word of God over others who need to know the Lord in an intimate way.

I pray you will join us at Noon EST to fellowship. We shall honor the Lord with our worship, intercession, and prayers to remain in His hand as He leads us through life on earth to eternity with Him in heaven.. May the Lord bless you!

Praise is your freedom - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) August 5, 2022

Praise is your freedom.

Have you ever noticed how much better you feel when worship music is playing? You forget your problems and even marvel at how joyful you are.

That's because when we praise or are surrounded by voices of praise, we invite the Lord into our environment. The Bible said, "How can light and darkness live together?" in 2 Corinthians 6:14 (GNT). Therefore, wherever the Lord is, darkness must flee.

Oftentimes, we're too intellectual to accept that something so simple could be the way to stop the devil in its tracks. However, praise is a mighty weapon that sends satan running.

Psalm 149:6-9 - May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, 7 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, 9 to carry out the sentence written against them— this is the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the LORD.

This scripture details what praise does in the 'hands' of God's children. It is an authoritative implement that stops kings - the most powerful - be they here in earth or in the spiritual. Praise enables God's beloved to punch above their weight and wield His limitless strength. And there's nothing satan can do about it.

So, will you tap into the power that's at your disposal today? Will you lift your voice and your heart to the glory of God? Satan will throw as much chaos as possible at you to throw you off and distract you from giving God His due reverence. Are you going to let that scheme work on you? Or, are you going to take a deep breath and focus on thanking God even if you are in the midst of a storm? Will you trust Him enough to take your eyes off the wind and simply walk on water, praising Him until the storm stills?

God bless you and I pray I'll see you at Noon EST. I also pray that you'll surround yourself with praise to chase the dark away, IJMN, Amen.