"The Lord works in mysterious ways." Most of us have heard that saying at some point or another and we think we understand what it means. We actually have little idea. Thankfully, the longer we walk with Him, the more we can testify that indeed His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.
One way God moved mysteriously was to hide the identities of His servants until the time was right. In the Bible, God used people who didn't look like a big deal to others. And yet, when the Lord was ready, He revealed His children for who they truly were and used them to do miraculous things.
Consider Joseph. A dream of his coming greatness contributed to his brothers' jealousy and hatred. This led to slavery, an accusation of attempted rape, and jail time. The grace on his life was recognized by a few people, and that led him from slavery to becoming the Vice President of Egypt. And when his brothers came to buy grain during a famine, they didn't recognize him. The calling on Joseph's life to save his family and future generations from famine and death wasn't fully recognized then.
Then there was Moses. When he ran from Egypt, he ended up in Midian. There, he met Jethro's daughters. After protecting them from some men, the women invited him home and described him to their father as "an Egyptian" (Exodus 2:19). However, Moses had always been an Israelite. His true nationality and indeed the great call upon His life would only be revealed 40 years later in a great way - it was intrinsically tied to the freedom of his people from slavery.
Finally, look at Queen Esther. She was a Jew married to the king of Persia. Alas, her true identity was known only to her uncle, Mordechai, and he leveraged that knowledge when it became clear that every Jew would die because of one man's murderous hate for them. But when the time came, God allowed her true identity to be revealed and it averted the genocide of her people. It also brought down their enemy and anyone who might have later tried to get revenge.
Now, why did God hide the identities of these His servants from others? He was protecting what was precious from the enemy. He was ensuring that the earthly tools for His victory wouldn't be found out and destroyed before their appointed time.
God did the same thing with Jesus Christ, hiding Him in Egypt as a baby and allowing Him to walk the earth for 30 years before He entered ministry and endured constant attacks from satan and those used by the enemy.
If you love God and wonder why nobody is recognizing your service, don't worry, and don't give up. You're in good company. God may have hidden your true identity until a time of His choosing. Take a breath, don't compare your journey to others, and praise Him for what He's building in you. At the right time, you'll be called for duty and if it's His will, others will see the hand of God on you.
Please remember that Joseph, Moses, and Esther were focused on obeying and honoring God. As you patiently wait, have the same attitude. It's not about others seeing the anointing upon your life, it's about God shining through your life and getting the glory (John 3:30). Just walk in the fear of the Lord and He will help you bear good fruit that will speak louder than anything else.
May the Lord help each of us to not look down on the days of small beginnings. May we focus on pleasing God and not the accolades of men. May we be content with being hidden and be ready when the Lord's call arrives. IJMN Amen.
See you at Noon EST!
From sis FJ - Father God, I come before You to intercede for ministers and leaders. We are instructed to pray leaders and all in authority. I pray for our leaders to have clean hands and a pure heart. I pray for the leaders that are God fearing. Please remember them for their labors of love. Let Your mercy speak for them. Let their hearts be like "streams of water that You direct" wherever You wish. Amen in Jesus name.
fROM c - Blessed wonderful God we bless your name today and forever! Lord we uplift into your hands all the prayers lifted up, we uplift into your hands ms Natalie as she waits for her kidney transplant, we pray over Maria and her family, over ms Carla and her family, over grandma Rachel and her diabetes, pastors Paul’s family as we and his granddaughters that you are with them and you heal them. Thank you for the praise and prayer group all of these loving members of the body of Christ here represented and their families IJMN Amen
FINAL MESSAGE
In the spirit of the season, I want to use this opportunity to give thanks for all of you who show up all the time, who show up some of the time, and of course, those who lurk.
May the good Lord bless you.
As we step into the last month of 2023, I pray that each of us will encounter the Lord in a new way. I pray that nobody will enter the new year without feeling the merciful touch of God and being changed forever, IJMN, Amen.
See you on Tuesday next week for fellowship by His grace.
CLOSING PRAYER
Hallelujah! Praise be to the living King! Once again, You have brought us to the end of another successful Praise & Pray (for others). Thank You Lord for bringing us together from different places for one purpose - to honor You.
Father, bless today's participants and cover them in Your favor. Be merciful to them and remember them for obeying Your instruction to enter Your gates with thanksgiving and Your courts with praise (Psalm 100:4). Kindly remember them for also obeying 1 Timothy 1:2-4 instruction to pray for all man.
May we all stay in You and do Your will, God, IJMN, Amen.
From BI -
Heavenly Father, I lift up to You KL, JL, DL, HL and all who are struggling with their mental health. Help them to cast their cares unto You. Lift them out of darkness and guide them towards Your light. Lord, open their eyes to see Your love and strength. You are not a God of confusion, You are a God of love, peace and order. Silence the lies of the devil. I pray You Lord will remove all suicidal thoughts from their minds. Heal their mental wounds and turn their tests into testimonies all to Your glory IJMN Amen.
From M22 - Thank you Abba for sis @FFJ for continually using her as your vessel to share your word and instructions with us. I pray Abba that she will never grow weary as she continues to walk with you. I pray dear Lord that you continue to bless and protect her, her family, her job, businesses, ministry and interests. IjMN amen.
From sis FJ - Father God, I come before You to intercede for ministers and leaders. We are instructed to pray leaders and all in authority. I pray for our leaders to have clean hands and a pure heart. I pray for the leaders that are God fearing. Please remember them for their labors of love. Let Your mercy speak for them. Let their hearts be like "streams of water that You direct" wherever You wish. Amen in Jesus name.
LAST 10 MINUTES
My identity is hidden in God.
Repeat those words and say Hallelujah!
God will sometimes hide His servants until He is ready to put them to work. And He does this to preserve their destiny and protect them from the enemy's attacks. During that season of 'hiding', the Lord pours into His servant and molds them for His purpose. It is therefore a blessed thing to have your identity hidden in Him.
That doesn't mean you won't feel impatient, wanting to be unleashed on the world for His glory. If that's you at this moment, please remember David. He was anointed king but had to wait years to sit on the throne. During that time, he learned to lean on God and be led by Him. It was a time of teaching and building.
Let the Lord do the same for you. Thank Him for hiding you and keeping you under the shadow of the palm of His hand. If not, the devil could have attacked you in a way you might not have been prepared for.
Father, You are the God who knows all things. Thank You, that in Your wisdom, You have chosen to keep me hidden in You. All that matters is that You know me and that I am known by You. I trust that You will guide me on Your path of righteousness. That I may walk in alignment with You so that when You are ready to use me in a bigger way, I will be ready to give You all the glory. IJMN, Amen.
Praise the Lord! No really, give God thanks right now.
From M22 - Faithful God, I pray for everyone in the waiting season. Help them to hold on to your promise in Isaiah 40:31. No matter the external judgement they face and the internal pressure to conform to standards that don't align with your will for their lives. Help them wait on you Abba. You are their solid rock, help them know they can stand without being shaken . IjMN amen.
Isaiah 54:17 - No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD. (NKJV)
I pray against any spirit or person who seeks to stand against the will of the Lord for His people. I decree in the name of Jesus that every weapon seeking to bring confusion and disunity into this fellowship be silenced in the darkness IJMN Amen.
Mark 3:27 - No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house. (NKJV)
I speak against every spirit of rebellion, witchcraft, death, deception, pride, fear, lies, self-pity, disease, glamor, divination, and new age, that has sought to root itself in this gathering. Everything that my Father did not plant is hereby uprooted IJMN Amen.
I decree harmony with the will and purpose of God in this gathering. That He be glorified here now and forever more. Amen.
From AC - YHWH Rapha we call on You to uproot the disease in their bodies and provide healing solutions. Free them from discomfort, and pain and replace the spirit of fear with Your transcending peace and comfort. Bless them with miraculous breakthroughs and restore their health in full, for Your almighty glory and victory! In the name of Jesus, our great Physician, we pray, Amen.
From M2 - Abba I pray for people struggling with homelessness and poverty. It is your will that we should abide under your shadow and not outside of it. Abba I pray that your touch the hearts and minds of fundraisers, organization, housing authorities, government to make abundant provision for them and meet all of their needs to improve their quality of lives and standards of living. Abba open up streams if opportunities for them. May their lives never remain the same moving forward IJMN amen.
From M22 - Abba Father, I pray for people struggling with addiction. I pray Lord that you uproot every spirit of addiction from their lives. That happiness they desire, help them find it in you. May their happiness be permanent moving forward. Help them as they recover Abba. IjMN amen.
From M22 - Everlasting Father! You are the Prince of Peace. I pray that your peace in Phillipians 4:8 triumphs over the chaos, war and conflicts in this world. Abba I pray that your peace touched the hearts and minds of world leaders, committess and warring parties to bring all this war to an end. IjMN amen! I pray Abba for families that have lost loved ones to this war that you comfort and console them and I pray that you accept their loved ones in your bosom IJMN amen.
From sis FJ - Abba, I thank You for the might of Your hand. God, it is this hand that sustains Your people. It is written "all creatures look to You for food". You are the sustainer of all creation.
Precious Lord, I ask that this Your hand would come and work justice for those being mistreated. You do not delight in the death of sinners. You warn the wicked to not attack the helpless, because their Defender will hear their cries and defend their cause. I ask You to defend the cause of the foreigner, the widow, the orphan, the victim of corruption and the victim of injustice. You who formed the eyes can see, and You who formed the ears can hear. So please arise and defeat the wicked because they think You do not see.
The lawlessness is increasing, Lord. I know there is a time for everything, and we are in the last days. But for the sake of Your name, please let their be more righteousness and justice in our communities. In Jesus name, amen. I thank you for hearing this prayer and answering it, because I have asked what is according to Your will.
How great Thou art, Father! Hallowed be Your holy name!
Isaiah 64:2 - As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you!
Habakkuk 3:2 - LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.
Psalm 90:16 - May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.
Lord, You are our incredible God. I call on You to move in a mysterious way. That the enemy will be forced to declare that indeed this is the finger of God (Exodus 8:19). That every enemy of Your purpose and plan will acknowledge that You are God. I call on You God to show Yourself mighty that the devil and its demons will flee. Put the enemy to shame, Father!
Let every created thing be stunned and acknowledge that You are God alone. You did it in the Babylonian Empire and have done it repeatedly for all time. Let scales fall from eyes and ears open and all declare that You are the one true God!
IJMN, Amen
From sis FJ - Righteous Father, Thank You for:
- ensuring that my tuition got paid in full
- working with me so I get back on track with You
- divinely organizing our lives
I come before You to thank You for Peppers and this fellowship. I pray for each person that this prayer can cover. Lord, I call on You to send your favor to surround them on every side. Like a shield, protect them from counterfeit opportunities. Let your "good and perfect" gifts come to them "with no toil attached"
Amen in Jesus name
From M22 - Abba I pray for couples seeking the fruit of the womb. You heard Rachel and Hannah's cries. Abba I pray that you hear them and bless them with healthy and beautiful babies of their own. I pray that you will help them nourish, nurture and protect them as they grow into amazing people that will contribute to your kingdom IJMN amen.
From BI - Lord, I lift up DK and her family to You in prayer. That have suffered another loss in a matter of weeks. Abba, wipe their tears away. I know that You are forever close to the broken-hearted. Let them feel Your presence in their midst. Grant them Your comfort and transcending peace. I pray that You Lord will open financial doors for them to pay for the things they need. I pray for good and perfect health for DK, that she will live to declare the goodness of God in her life IJMN Amen.
From M22 - Abba I pray for children across the world. I pray that you nourish, nurture and protect them from harm, violence and abuse. Abba you said we should look up to them for their openness and curiosity in the book of Matthew. Abba I pray that you will continue to shield them from evil and help them to live out their God given destinies, purposes and potential. I pray that they will be instrumental to the advancement of your kingdom here on earth IJMN amen.