As believers, many of us move through the world speaking God's word over ourselves. We proclaim His promises, claiming them and praising for them even if we are yet to see our expectations materialize. (If you are not doing this, please start).
Sometimes, however, we get so myopic that we only focus on the parts of the Bible that make us happy, without confronting the sections that act as a call to change and improve. I am just as guilty of this as anyone else and a recent reading of the Book of Revelations acted as a stark reminder.
Specifically, I was looking at Revelation 9:20 - The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.
The part of the scripture that caught my attention was the term "work of their hands." It is one I tend to use when praying for God to bless people. I do this because of Psalm 90:17 - May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. Sounds like a great proclamation, right?
Well, it is. Yet, as I studied Revelation 9:20, I was nudged to stop and examine what the "works of my hands" are producing. Are the things I do - the things I invest my time in - producing anything I need to repent for? Or are they producing things that please the Lord and bring favor?
As I am far from perfect, I've had to confront aspects of me that don't produce the righteousness that God desires. I've had to face up to the things I do that need to go NOW. It's been hard to examine myself so closely - after all, who wants to see themselves as failing in anything? Nevertheless, the exercise has been a caution that if the works of our hands produce that which is contrary to God's word, they will not be blessed and ruin is sure to come. The exercise is also a trumpet call highlighting that God is gracious and kind to point His finger at the things that must be eradicated from our lives. And because He is a good God, He does so from a place of compassion and love.
Will you let the Lord point His finger at the things that you need to stop doing right now? Even the things you don't do on purpose but somehow happen? If you are willing, today is the starting point of Him providing the necessary wisdom to no longer fall into the pits and traps that the devil has set to ensnare. Pits and snares intended to slow down your journey to the promised land that is your sure inheritance. Remember God is building you for His purpose that you will be the dwelling place He resides in. God wants to lovingly guide you in the construction phase so you end up a beautiful reflection of His glory here on earth and step into heaven with a glorious welcome.
If you are ready to do this with the Lord, please pray with me - Heavenly Father, You are the beginning and the end. You are He who spoke the end from the beginning. Who else can boast of such a thing? The I am that I am alone! Lord, I confess that I need You to place a finger on the works of my hands that I must repent for. Even before You tell me what these things are, I submit my ways to You and freely repent of every known and unknown sin that works against me and deprives You of Your glory in my life. I freely receive Your merciful forgiveness and know that from today, You will show me how I can change so You are honored. I understand that these changes may happen over the course of time, and I trust You to get me through. IJMN, Amen.
Glory to God in the Highest!!! Let us come to fellowship at Noon EST ready to praise God for His grace and the changes to come in our lives. Also be prepared to intercede for others as is our custom. May the Lord bless you richly and may His righteous right hand bless the godly works of your hands that they give Him glory, IJMN, Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER
We serve the Most High God and so it is He we honor with thanks for the conclusion of today's P&P hour. Bless the living God!
Father, as we go off to finish tasks and prepare for the weekend, I pray that Your grace shall rest upon today's participants. I pray that You will smile upon them and remember them for serving You via praise and intercession.
I also pray, my good God, that for those who prayed for You to show them what needs to change in their lives, they will have no fear. That they will cling to You knowing that Your plans for them are good and will surely result in success for them. Reassure them, Lord, that Your loving eye is upon them for good, IJMN, Amen.
And for those who aren't yet sure that they want to commit to the transformation You have for them, I thank You Lord for their lives. I am especially grateful for how much You love them, having brought them to read today's message. God, touch them, show them how real You are and that You are worth everything. IJN, Amen.
God bless you all! Have a wonderful weekend filled with the Father's peace and rest.
*From BI* - Thank You Lord for being the only constant in my life. Thank You for answered prayers. Thank You for unanswered prayers for I believe everything You do is for my good. My ways are not Your ways and You know best. Thank You for being the wonderful Father You are and correcting me when I stray from Your word. I thank You my Abba for being so patient and loving towards me. All power, glory and honour belongs to You.
From MFC - Dear God, every good and perfect gift comes from You. As our church celebrates our 12th anniversary, I want to thank You for our pastor. She is an excellent gift to the church and the community. Praise be to God for the great sacrifice that our pastor makes to ensure that we grow spiritually. Lord, continue prospering her and her work. Grant her wisdom that she may know how to teach the word in a way that brings people closer to Your son Jesus Christ. Father God, we give You all the glory for allowing our Apostle to operate in knowledge and understanding when she counsels people who are going through different challenges in life. Thank You for the next 12 years to come! In Jesus’ name, we believe and pray, Amen.
LAST 10 MINUTES If you prayed for God to help you so the works of your hands give Him glory, praise the Lord! God hears our prayers, each and every one. And as the word states in 1 John 5:15 - And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. Therefore, spend the remaining 10 minutes of fellowship giving Him praise! Thank Him for hearing and answering you. Thank Him for how He is going to help you to listen, hear, and obey Him. Thank Him for the new experience you are about to have. Remember, this is a process. God will whittle away what needs to go if you let Him. Don't be stiff-necked like the Pharaoh who ended up drowned in the Red Sea. Never forget that God wants the works of your hands to be blessed, not something you have to repent for. He wants you to sow good seed and reap a great harvest that makes Him look good. That shall be your portion, IJN, Amen. One last thing - this experience will likely not be comfortable. Maybe I should have said so from the beginning. That said, don't be afraid, no matter how uncomfortable you end up feeling. This is part of being built for the Lord. Remember, the building stage isn't cute, but the finished product? That's what we are aiming for - to be a more finished product in the hands of The Potter. Reflecting even more of what a masterpiece we are! So, start thanking God for how you will finish by His grace and to His glory. God bless you.
*From MFC* - Father God, we lift up Elder Danielle in the passing of her Father. I ask that You strengthen each area of her heart as she struggles to stay strong. Lord, please uphold their family with Your glorious right hand! May Your Word surrounds them and resonate in their hearts during this hard time. In Jesus name, Amen.
Good God, You are the Almighty. Nobody compares to You. Father, thank You for hearing my prayer for people that they come to a knowledge of You as You promised in Jeremiah 24:7. Thank You for giving people a desire for You. Thank You for whetting their appetites for more of You. Thank You for letting hearts clamor for You. Thank You for kindly pouring out Your Spirit on all mankind in accordance with Your word in Joel 2:28. Be glorified, Lord our Redeemer.
Now and forever more, IJMN, Amen.
*From BI* - Lord, I Lift into Your capable hands those who are grieving. Lord, You are full of love and mercy, embrace those who are grieving and sustain them with Your comfort. Support them with Your guidance and fortify them with the courage they need to honour the memory of their loved ones. Lord, lead them to Your light as they go through this dark period in their lives. Strengthen them and grant them the grace to persist. Heal their brokenness with Your soothing touch that they experience Your transcending peace IJMN Amen.
Good God. You who made the earth and all that is in it. Praise be to You, God who owns everything. Thank You Sovereign Lord for being almighty and all-sufficient. To You be all the glory, IJN, Amen.
Ezekiel 36:29-30 - I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will summon the grain and make it plentiful, and I will not bring famine upon you. I will also make the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field plentiful, so that you will no longer bear reproach among the nations on account of famine.
Father, the land suffers because of our wrong choices and the devil is pleased. It taunts and mocks that our God cannot bring the rains and cannot bring from the ground what is needed to feed the nations. Lord, for the sake of Your Holy and precious name, we call on You to preserve the greatness and honor of Your name. To not allow the enemy to gloat and claim that it could create famine and the chaos that stems from it.
Therefore, Lord, we call on You to do as You promised in Your word. Cleanse Your people and cleanse the land, IJMN, Amen. In Your mercy and because You protect Your very name, bring about harvest where the land has been written off. Bring food of all kinds to the hungry. Break apart that which serves to prevent food provision. All things hampering food getting to those in need are destroyed now, IJMN, Amen.
Take all the glory, Lord. Thank You for bumper harvests and miraculous provision. Hallelujah!
*From PBS* -
Praise You Mighty and Glorious Father!
All worship, honor, and thanksgiving belong to You, Lord Jesus!
Good and faithful Shepherd, your children follow Your Voice, Holy Spirit!
Thank you Lord for all You’ve Done, are Doing Now, and Will Do Forever!
Your Grace and Mercy endures forever!
Your Word does not return to You void, and it accomplishes ALL it’s sent out to do!
Oh Holy One, who sits high and looks low. Searching the hearts of man, looking for those who truly reverence and worship You—to bestow Your Name, love, salvation, deliverance, protection, favor, healing, wholeness, prosperity, and Power!
You are the Great I Am—the Beginning and the End—the Most High God!
The Light of Your passing Glory Alone was too much for Moses to even see you face to face without perishing! You are Glorious, Mighty, Powerful, and Holy!
You alone are GOD!
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty! Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world! Satan is defeated!
There is NO ONE and NO THING greater than You! Every knee shall bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth at the name of Jesus!
Every authority must yield unto You! You are the true Superpower!
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The same God and Father to those saved and delivered through the Blood of the Lamb, the only Savior, Jesus Christ!
HALLELUJAH!!! Thank You Lord!!! Amen, amen, amen!
“Father, I come in the name of Jesus to plead His blood on my life and on all that belongs to me, and on all over which You have made me a steward.
I plead the blood of Jesus on the portals of my mind, my body (the temple of the Holy Spirit), my emotions, and my will. I believe that I am protected by the blood of the Lamb which gives me access to the Holy of Holies.
I plead the blood on my children, on my grandchildren and their children, and on all those whom You have given me in this life.
Lord, You have said that the life of the flesh is in the blood. Thank You for this blood that has cleansed me from sin and sealed the New Covenant of which I am a partaker.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
*From AW* - Father God, my friend S needs you as he continues recovering from his stroke and multiple visits to the ICU. Touch his heart and mind so he can stop pushing his family away. Lord, we know his cold behavior towards his family and friends is uncharacteristic and unacceptable in Your eyes. Cure his bitterness and anger, IJN. Amen!
From DR14U -
James 1:21 - Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Lord, thank You for the opportunity to submit to Your Lordship and all that You want to do in us. Help all Your children heed the scripture. Grace, God, to eradicate moral filth and evil from our lives. Your grace is sufficient and it is what Your people rely on as they walk with You, IJMN, Amen.
*From MFC* - Jehovah Rapha, my Healer, my cousin E has been so sick lately. He suffered seven mini-strokes last week. He needs Your miraculous, restorative hand to reach down and touch his body. Give him the healing he needs to overcome this sickness and fully recover. Lord. Please intervene soon. You are the Great Physician, Jesus, and I know that You can do all things. Amen.
PRAYERS
Glory to God in the highest! Now, it is time for us to lift up the needs of others in prayer. Let us call on the Lord to help them by turning their situation around.
If you're not praying for a person but are praying about an issue affecting people, call on the Lord to work miracles.
The Lord bless and guide you, IJMN, Amen.
*From IA84* - My apologies for the late check-in. I've been busy preparing for my move in 3 days. Blessings to everyone. I've learned this year that I have so much more healing and work to do. But I give thanks and show gratitude for how far I've come. I've learned now that I shouldn't just settle for anything, when I know that I can do and have better. I pray many blessings, peace and protection over my new home. It was nothing but a miracle, that I was chosen over 2 other interested people. But I trust this new place was a blessing truly meant for me. I pray the other applicants were able to find some place safe and just as nice and accomodating as what I have received. I don't take anything for granted. I have always been greatly blessed and favored, no matter what I've been going through. I acknowledge there is still ways to go for me, but everyday, I have to remember to take everything one step and one day at a time. And I must remember to always believe in me, even if no one else does. I hope you find encouragement and hope through this message. Thank you to everyone in the P&P community for their love and support. I wish many blessings, peace and happiness for all of you. Enjoy your weekend!
Thank You God for being My Helper. My Healer. The One who gives me joy and happiness. The One who shared His breath with me.
Thank You for being everything I need or could ever want.
Lord, I give You all the glory for You alone are worthy.
Praise be to Your Holy Name!
Amen, Hallelujah!
*From MFC* - Lord, make Your glory known to me. Let me learn from Moses, David, Paul and others whose deep longing to know You more resulted in a more intimate knowledge of You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8
Sovereign Lord, thank You for this opportunity to fellowship together. Glory be to Your Holy Name!
Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
God, I want to thank You for giving people beautiful voices. I thank You for the blessing of spontaneous worship. For people coming together to glorify You. It doesn't even have to be perfect. The rest of us don't even have to understand the language, but we feel and are filled by the Spirit once He descends upon a gathering that is to Your glory.
Hallelujah!!
ôh mon âme (Oh my soul)
béni L'éternal (Bless the Lord)
ôh mon ame (Oh my soul)
béni L'éternal (Bless the Lord)
Loba naye na
lingaka yo Yesu eh
Psalm 103:1 - Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name (KJV).
*From BI* - Thank You Lord for Your wonders and mercies. Thank You Lord for Your protection and guidance. I don’t even know what else to say but thank You!