Savior – Prayers and Paintbrushes

PRAYER for ALL TIME

I have studied the Old Testament book of Daniel at least 4 times in the last several years and it never fails to be jaw dropping to me. It’s more than Shadrach, Meshak, and Abednego or the lion’s den, although those are miraculous events. It’s even more than the powerful King Nebuchadnezzar or the evils of Babylon. What impacts me most are the visions God, through his powerful warrior angels, gave to Daniel about how “things would go.” Some of these “things” were prophecies of future kingdoms that have since come and gone just as the visions described them. The last visions, the ones that troubled Daniel so greatly, are visions of the end times – the very end times. And these visions align with and help make sense of the visions the aging Apostle John had many years later and recorded in the New Testament book of Revelation.

In one of my Bible studies, we took the prayer of Daniel recorded in Daniel chapter 9 verses 7-19 (NIV) and wrote it out for our times. I ask that you pray aloud (if possible) as you read it, and believe the Lord of Heaven’s Armies hears.

PRAYER of Daniel
“Lord, You are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—we the people, both near and far in all the places we live – we have been unfaithful to You. [8] We and our government, White House and world leaders are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against You. [9] You, our Lord and our God, are merciful and forgiving, even though we rebel against You; [10] we have not obeyed or kept the laws You gave us through Your servants the prophets. [11] All THE WORLD has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey You. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You. [12] You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster on every side. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what is being done in our nation and world. [13] Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to Your truth. [14] The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything He does; yet we have not obeyed Him. [15] “Now, Lord our God, who brought Your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for Yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. [16] Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away Your anger and Your wrath from our city, our nation and world. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made our nation and Your people, Your church, an object of scorn to all those around us. [17] “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, Lord, look with favor on Your desolate believers. [18] Give ear, our God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the nation that once bore Your Name. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. [19] Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, my God, do not delay, because our nation and your people bear your Name.”

Praying the words Scripture knowing His words do not return void and believing God works in heavenly places and in the hearts of men. Forgive us Heavenly Father as we so often forget You are here!

In the power of Jesus’ name we pray.

Welcoming the Easter Lamb

I’m a long way past chocolate bunnies, Easter bonnets and white patent leather shoes – not to mention Easter baskets, or dying and hiding eggs. It’s all part of the family tradition and is/was certainly fun. It has its place in our families. But the real Easter recognizes the end of darkness and beginning of Light as Jesus overcame a brutal death on the cross on my behalf – on your behalf – and resurrected to LIFE.

Without the miracle of that first Easter morning and the resurrection of Jesus, there would be no need for the Church. This is the reason He came – to buy us back offering us His righteousness for our darkness and sin. His love for us is offered as a free gift requiring only that we receive it with gratitude: open hands and open heart to receive the forgiveness and grace only He can give. It costs you nothing. But to ignore it costs you everything

I pray you will find the Easter gift of the Lamb of God – God’s ultimate sacrifice of His Son – this Easter Sunday. Watch “The Chosen,” free on “The Chosen” app, and be blessed to watch His story unfold before your eyes. Regardless, the cost to you is only a prayer away. Even if your belief is small, it is enough! Ask Him and see if He isn’t faithful to His promises. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Praying for peace in our nation and in our world, trusting that He who gave us His story is faithful and will redeem that which is broken in His time. AMEN

HOPE in Uncertain Times

How much we need You, Lord. You have promised through the ages to BE our living hope, our Rock and our Redeemer. Who else was foretold as was Jesus so many thousands of years before He was born? What other religious leader’s name, place of birth, method of execution, and plan for the ages was ever revealed and in such absolute accuracy BEFORE they occurred?

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3) “When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13). “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” Isaiah 7:14

How grieved many of us are by what appears to be the actions and plans Satan and his army of fallen spirits manifesting in our nation and our world. The darkness is swirling and encroaching, but You are our protector and our provision – our HOPE. You warned us the world around us would become more and more difficult in the end times. The statues of great leaders of our country being knocked down, murders, lawlessness, immorality, suicide, ongoing virus fears, and the mandate to change our nation into something very dark and immoral – to name but a few – have robbed us of what we knew as “normal.” Wars and rumors of wars and saber rattling is now very apparent on the horizon. None of this is a surprise to you. You warned us of these things throughout the Old Testament in Daniel, Ezekial, and Isaiah to name a few of the many. And Jesus himself told us. He came to get our attention, to point the way and in His excruciating death on our behalf, to BE the Way.

“When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’

“Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me'” (Matthew 11:2–6).

I sit at Your feet this morning, Lord, and my spirit is warmed by Your great love and the protection of Your grace, mercy and power. And my heart is strengthened and renewed.
Forgive me when my desire to be a peacemaker or a voice of any kind, may be received as a clanging gong. Not everyone will agree with or like me. But Your words are trustworthy!

Help us to be Your hands and feet. Help us to stand on Your Word of Truth. We need You, Lord and YOU are the only hope for our world.

1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV
[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, [5] who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

PURPLE TODAY

I’d like to share again these wise words with anyone who is wrestling with where they find themselves today. These thoughts were shared by my friend Betsy, from the book, “The Red Sea Rules.” Here is a summary of what the author, Robert J. Morgan, wants to remind us during challenging times:
1) God means for us to be where we are.
2) Be more concerned for God’s glory than your relief.
3) Acknowledge the enemy but keep your focus on God.
4) Pray!
5) Stay calm and confident and let God do His work.
6) Take one day and one step at a time.
7) Look for God’s surrounding presence.
8 Trust God to deliver in His own unique way.
9) View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future.
10) Praise Him.

Jesus sent the disciples into the boat knowing that they would be caught in a severe storm. He intended that they would experience God’s glory AND His presence in and through this frightening experience . Yes, there is an enemy hard at work and his victory has been one of divisiveness in every direction. But if we keep our eyes focused on the Son. and pray – hard and often, I believe we will see He has neither forgotten nor abandoned us. He is close to the broken hearted. We can trust Him. He is faithful.

…praying for you~

In This World You Will Have Tribulation

But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. These are the words of Jesus Christ, spoken to His disciples about the “end of the age” in John 16:33. The end of the age seems to be getting closer by the minute. The news is not good, the state of our country and our world so discouraging.

SO, I cling to the hope that these times are no surprise to the Creator and Author of The Book. The Bible warns us from cover to cover of how things would look as we neared the times most famously illustrated in the book of Revelation…but don’t skip Isaiah, Ezekial, Daniel, or Romans just to name a few.

Desiring to seek to encourage and brighten a dark world as best I am able, I point to Jesus for truth and hope. But I also share my watercolors because it is my gift to hopefully shower some brightness and color into your world. Know that as I share these words, there are heavy prayers in my heart – for miracles and for redemption – to flood in every direction. Jesus’ name is POWERFUL! His is the only name people swear by, have you ever considered that? There is a reason – and it is because there is great power in His name. So I pray, in JESUS’ NAME, for the healing of our land and the future of our world. Amen✨