He Had No Beauty

"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him" (Isaiah 53:2) Hundreds of years before the birth of our Savior, the prophet Isaiah described him as average looking, "nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." I never thought about the fact that Jesus experienced the same rejections for his appearance that most every woman has felt. (And many men as well). Along with all the other lies Satan tries to defeat us with, He also accuses us of not looking good enough: that 20 pounds I need to lose, the big age spot on my right cheek, the pudgy tummy that has never been flat...and the list goes on and on. However, we are to take heart in following Jesus' example. The thousands didn't flock to him because of his dashing, good looks. NO they came because he offered them the Living Water and the Living Word. He gave them love, compassion and understanding. He found His fulfillment not in personal gain and standing but in obeying the Father's plan. So remember that feeling inadequate because of ANY earthly standard, such as appearance, wealth, or achievement, is but another lie from our Enemy designed to keep us from being the beautiful Women of God we are designed to be. Jesus gave clear instructions on how to avoid that trap in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."(NASB95) The most beautiful people in my life are not by the world's standards the most perfect looking. They are the people who share the love of Christ and seek to be His example to the world.

I've Confessed The Bitterness But My Heart Still Hurts

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Col. 3:12-14 (ESV)

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Eph. 4:32 (NASB)

In these two passages, Paul issued forth quite a tall order.  Forgive just as God forgives us. Continue to treat others with kindness, humility, patience, etc. These are commands dealing with how we as Christians should treat each other.  Those two passages have often convicted me of harboring bitterness and withholding forgiveness.  I have been on a journey of about 5 years of learning what forgiveness really is.  What does it really look like?

I find it easy to let go of and forgive strangers who cut in front of me on the interstate or even a simple aquatint who makes a rude comment. But the real trial has come when people I deeply care about have said or done things that rip my heart out and wound me to the core.  I've spent countless hours pouring out my heartache to others, including my husband, only to come to the realization that I’d never receive an apology.  I’d never hear “I’m sorry I hurt you; I was being thoughtless.”

I've read several books addressing the topic of forgiveness, been convicted shamefully that I often fell back into bitterness and came to the conclusion that this command was one I just couldn't obey in my own strength.

I’d confess my bitterness, I’d ask God to change my heart yet still the ripped open wound of my heart just would not heal.  The sadness and emptiness of these relationships burdened my heart...until recently. It’s only been in the past month that true forgiveness and healing has taken place.  And just so you’ll know, there have still been no apologies.  So what changed?  

James 5:16 (NASB95)

¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

I began asking for prayers for healing of relationships.  I confessed to some trusted friends the rift in my relationships and how it grieved me. When I began to solicit the prayers of others on my behalf, changes began to take place.

I began to mature and come to the realization that I’d have to meet the other party where they were, not where I thought they should be.  That is with God’s help, my expectations changed as to what our relationship was going to look like.  I had to let go of expecting more maturity than was there. 

But the most significant changes took place due to God’s magnificent grace. Prayer changes things.  God supernaturally brought about circumstances that opened the door for mutual need of each other and common ground for conversation and fellowship.  The more I really needed them in my life, the greater the healing became.  So what did supernatural forgiveness look like?  God poured out in my heart a love and appreciation for the other individuals involved that was not of my own.  I have been able to give love without the hurts of the past even crossing my mind.  There is no other explanation for this kind of forgiveness other than the prayers of others and God’s miraculous changing power.

I know in some broken relationships, reconciliation never takes place.  However, in my case I’ve been blessed that God, prompted by the prayers of others for me, made changes in my heart as well as in the hearts of the other people.  He used the fact that I needed them and expressed that need in humility to bring about changes in the hearts of the others.   In addition to confessing to God my bitterness and repenting of it, I needed the prayers of others who didn't condemn and I needed God supernatural interventions. 

Referring back to the scriptural commands to forgive, I want to add that the commands to confess to one another and pray for one another go hand in hand with forgiveness. (and any other sin one may be struggling to find victory over) In the relationships that are dearest to us, the hurt can go so deep that we just don’t have the strength to completely forgive. We need outside help. Some earthly relationships won’t be reconciled but that doesn’t mean your heart can’t be healed and forgiveness granted.   “You have not because you ask not”. Ask God and ask for prayers from others repeatedly until the forgiveness takes root and blooms in your heart.  

Halloween Is For Posers

As I came home last night after TLC Book Discussion/Bible study, I  noticed in our neighborhood, there were a few straggling youngsters in bizarre costumes, yelling out Happy Halloween as they were loading into cars ending a night of “Trick-o-Treating”. I had been out all evening so I missed out on the Disney Princesses, Power Rangers, Blue Men, Zombies, Vampires, and other assorted costumers all out celebrating Halloween.  As I sat down this morning to read my notes from our discussion and write my thoughts on Chapter 6, in light of the Halloween mayhem from the night before, one particular passage jumped out at me from our study.

In Idol Lies (by Dee Brestin) Chapter 6 discussion questions, Day 5, Number 9A, we were asked to describe what happened on earth at the moment when Jesus died on the cross.

Matthew 27:50–54 (NASB95)

⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. ⁵¹ And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. ⁵² The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³ and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴ Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Halloween decorations around my neighborhood and across the country are made up of fake plastic tombstones, polyester spider webs, mannequins with sunken eyes, dark gaunt faces with fake blood, missing limbs, torn clothes and fake injuries depicting the “walking dead” or zombies, and other man created phony attempts of creating fear. I couldn't help but think how these phonies are designed by Satan or the world or both, to make people scared of the unknown and in a ghoulish way put out the idea that we may not really die.  In contrast we see from this passage above that when God chose to bring people back from the grave, the purpose was not terror for the sake of fear itself.  No, He was getting the attention of the whole world concerning the death of His son on the behalf of all mankind and declaring His unlimited power over earth and death.   

Hollywood, Halloween and man-made attempts of showing the dead coming back to earth are designed to strike fear, give unwholesome thrills and leave the viewers with unanswered questions that seem to point to an unavoidable doom.  However, when God tore the veil of the temple in two, SHOOK the earth, split boulders, ripped open tombs and brought saints (believing ones) back to life in whole recognizable bodies so that they walked around and appeared to people in Jerusalem, there was no question as to Who was in Charge, and what the answer was and is to the real fear that this kind of power display provokes.  The centurion and others with him proclaimed the answer, “Truly this was the Son of God!” 

Even the most realistic horror film of Hollywood can never duplicate the amazing power God has over death. So I say Halloween is for Posers; when someone is truly brought back to life, only God can do it and He does it perfectly: no missing parts!

John 3:16 (NASB95) ¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Idol Lies by Dee Brestin-The Role of Music Making our Hearts ready

Dee advised to each day prepare our hearts for study through music and prayer.

I always equated music as a distraction to study but I tried it today. I went to Pandora free radio and picked hymns for praise.  It truly did a better job of preparing my heart than than through prayer alone. How? It caused me to focus my emotions and heart to praise and worship God and that's the best place to start for God to work in our hearts.  This is the hymn that expresses what I'm asking the Lord to do in my life through this study.

1. Open my eyes, that I may see
   Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
   Place in my hands the wonderful key
   That shall unclasp and set me free.
    
   • Refrain 1:
     Silently now I wait for Thee,
     Ready my God, Thy will to see,
     Open my eyes, illumine me,
     Spirit divine!
2. Open my ears, that I may hear
   Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
   And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
   Everything false will disappear.
    
   • Refrain 2:
     Silently now I wait for Thee,
     Ready my God, Thy will to see,
     Open my ears, illumine me,
     Spirit divine!
3. Open my mouth, and let me bear,
   Gladly the warm truth everywhere;
   Open my heart and let me prepare
   Love with Thy children thus to share.
    
   • Refrain 3:
     Silently now I wait for Thee,
     Ready my God, Thy will to see,
     Open my heart, illumine me,
     Spirit divine!

Indiana Jones and the Idol of Dionysus (the god of indulgence)

(The terrifying adventure of finding and excavating the idol worshipped for centuries)

Day 1

“In other words, before I became aware of my idolatry, I became aware of the symptoms telling me that something was not right.”

Dee (2012-09-11). Idol Lies (p. 4). Worthy Publishing. Kindle Edition.

“Every believer needs to be set free, and it begins with getting past our denial, with seeing what we really idolize, and admitting this to God and to others.”

Dee (2012-09-11). Idol Lies (p. 6). Worthy Publishing. Kindle Edition.

When I step on my bathroom scales, I see the evidence of sin.  Being diagnosed as clinically obese and skyrocketing blood pressure was a wakeup call.  I have worshipped comfort and security and pleasure enough times to put my health at risk and abuse the body God has given me.  And it’s not just food: it’s that comfy couch that I can’t seem to get up from. IT’s that mindless television show that I watch reruns of for hours. It’s a quick fix for the frustration of being in pain and unable to actively join in life with others.   I’ve lost 20 pounds and am now classified as just overweight, (still stings when I say it to myself) yet I still know that idol of pleasure draws me in and has me bowing before it more times than I would like.  I’ve know this for 8 years…but how do I overcome this sin? Counting calories?  Exercise that leaves me hurting and chronically tired? How can I faithfully exercise when I’m in pain and or sick SO much of the times? Are those just excuses? Am I really lying to myself when I stop after 15 minutes, afraid that my hip will hurt so much I won’t be able to sleep that night?  Why can’t I stop this? Why can’t I lose this weight? What’s missing from me? What is wrong with me?

Now what? I don’t indulge as much as I did before, but it’s still lurking in the shadows ready to jump in front of me; it promises fulfillment and excitement, even a quick fix to whatever but never delivers. How do I keep those God given pleasures in their proper place in my life?

Proverbs 28:13 (NASB95)

¹³He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

Father, I’m confessing this before you and to any who read this blog; I am seeking to forsake it. I need your help and enlightenment. (My sisters in Christ, I need your help too.  Please pray for me. Pray for one another.  We are all struggling with something.)

Wanting to obey but feeling discouraged because “want to” doesn’t translate to “did it”. My own self-control just doesn’t work.

Yet a voice in my heart calls out to me to not lose hope, not give up.

Matthew 7:7–8 (NASB95)

⁷“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”

1 John 5:14–15 (NASB95)

¹⁴This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

Father, I it is Your will that I worship, serve, praise and focus on You and You alone.  I’m asking you to open my eyes to where I fail to do that. In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Help me to love you with all my heart, my soul and my mind. I pray this too for any who read this, that you would illuminate them to what they put ahead of you and where obedience to you alone can bring the fulfillment they seek in the idols that surround us every day.

When Things Don't Turn Out Like We Hoped

     Not being much of a gardener, tomato plants in a pot on my deck seemed like a idea.  So with the weather warming and the calendar saying it was safe to plant, in they went. But as the weeks progressed, the growth was not promising and the blossoms scarce.  Someone suggested that maybe they were root bound so I separated them, and put them in the ground.  By now it was well into June but I still had hope.  Then one day upon examining the plants closer, I noticed that something had been enjoying my transplanted tomato plants for a late night or early morning snack.  Hope was dwindling but I decided to give them one last chance - deer repellent spray and fertilizer - before leaving on vacation for two weeks plus.  Fast forward to the end of July.  Upon our return the plants were markedly bigger and tomatoes markedly absent.  So where did I go?  The Internet, of  course! What did I learn?  I had used the wrong type of fertilizer which gave great plant growth but no fruit. By now, most of you have gotten a good chuckle at my gardening challenged skills.  But guess what I noticed a couple weeks ago?  Many blossoms, and now some small tomatoes have appeared!  Have you noticed that God never wants to waste any experience?   Let's look for some spiritual lessons and ask some questions. Despite our mistakes, setbacks, ignorance, or circumstances over which we have no control, God can still bring fruit from our lives.  It may not be in the timing we want or the way we expect but we can trust the Master Gardener to do His work.  For what do you need to wait on God?  What is happening in your life right now that you didn't expect?  How are you responding? Are you tempted to give up on something or someone?  Do what God shows you to do and then watch the Gardener as He works tenderly, skillfully, and patiently.
What other applications do you see?  Share them with us.

Consider the Lilies

...God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; (Romans 4:17b NKJV)

     Between 15 and 20 years ago, I planted some flowers that I had never grown before, with high hopes of enjoying annual color.  But, alas, that did not happen - until this summer!  So what was different this year than previous years?  Last summer, we had some trees taken down and one was very close to these flowers.  I didn't want the trees taken down because of the loss of shade and foliage, but the surgery took place, despite my misgivings and complaints.  (The trees did need to come down knowing the potential breakage of weak pine limbs stressed by Georgia ice storms and windy thunderstorms.)  The result - a delicate beauty more glorious than what was there previously!  Apparently, with the tree gone, the competition for moisture was gone and now the direct sunlight rays bathe the flowers many hours a day.  These aren't lilies (in fact, I am not sure what they are!), but I am "considering" them.  What do I need to willing let God remove from my life so that there is no competition for the beauty He wants to display?  Will I let Him?  What difference would it make in my life if I let the rays of His Son shine in my heart to a greater extent?  What else is competing for the soaking water of His word with which He desires to saturate my life?  “...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow..."(Matthew 6:28 NKJV)

My Journey into Fasting - Part I

                                          Fasting P's and Q's - by Linda Young
Disclaimer :)   I am in no way saying either that you should or should not fast, or that any kind of fast is wrong or right.  Certainly Scripture is filled with examples of God blessing His people who fast .   Everything that follows comes from my personal journey and what I believe God has shown me.

Several years ago, a group of ladies I was meeting with decided to fast every Monday to seek God's guidance in ministry.  I was excited to be a part of the group, but had concerns, because in the past, the physical symptoms I experienced while attempting to fast made it impossible to continue.  So I asked, what is it about going without food that makes God more likely to hear and answer prayers? 

They rushed to reassure me that fasting didn't mean fasting from all food or even any food.  One lady entered the meeting sipping on a McDonald's Sweet Tea, saying that she was fasting from Starbucks coffee on Mondays.  Another was going to fast from television on Mondays, but asked if it would be okay if she TiVO'd the Olympic event that was going to be televised that night and watched it Tuesday (is that cheating?).   I decided to fast from food.

I really wanted to fast the right way, so I began researching for a good book to read on fasting.  Here's a small sample of some titles I found:

"Fasting: The Private Discipline That Brings Public Reward"

"Fasting Journal: Your Personal 21-Day Guide to a Successful Fast"

"Intermittent Fasting (Just One Day Per Week): How I Went From Short and Fat To Short and Sexy!"

"The Amazing Power of Fasting--Discover the Ancient Secret to Effortless Health, Wealth and     Unconditional Love"

"Fasting that Moves the Hand of God"

"Fasting from Alif to Yaa: A Day by Day Guide to Making the Most of Ramadhaan"

"FASTING - the Second Step to Eternal Life"

It is clear just from the titles that all fasting is not godly.  But why would God be pleased if I deprive myself of food?  Someone said God will know how sincere I am.  Does He not already know my heart?  Are my prayers really sharpened by fasting?  Does a dull prayer not reach God's ears?  Can God hear me better when I'm starving myself?  Will He answer a prayer differently if I fast and if I don't?  Is He manipulated or moved by a hunger strike?

With all these questions, I began journaling my fasting journey and my questions.  I wrote some things that I knew weren't right as soon as I wrote them down.  My own words kept coming back and haunting me.  Obviously I was off base, so  I turned to Scripture to see exactly what and when and how God told His people to fast.   I couldn't find a single verse where God tells His people to go without food, when to fast, for how long, and how to do it.  But Scripture had much to say about a fast that pleases or displeases God.  The Hebrew word for fasting is "tsum" which means basically to cover your mouth, or to go without food and/or drink, so we can assume that a Biblical fast is one where we go without food and/or drink.  The ladies told me it was because they didn't have Starbucks or TV back then.

The book of Daniel describes that Daniel declined the king's rich food and asked for a very basic diet.  This is often considered a Daniel fast, eating only veggies and grains.  But rather than a true fast, wasn't Daniel merely abstaining from foods that would defile him, in other words, keeping kosher?

If "tsum" means cover your mouth, can there be a true partial fast?  Perhaps there's a difference between abstaining and fasting?  Maybe we abstain from bad habits to break them, or to discipline ourselves, or abstain from certain foods for our health, but that the true meaning of fasting is going without food?

Can it be that the practice and discipline of fasting was a Pharisaical Jewish tradition and not a commandment from God?  Can it be that Jesus fasted because it was tradition?  That when He told His disciples, "when you fast ..." He meant it more like, "when you go to the grocery store, buy milk."  Not a "thou must" but a "since you will"?

My Q's (questions) found their answers in P's:

I.  PURPOSE:  PLEASE GOD
Isaiah 58:3-5  'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?' "Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers.  Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself ? Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?

Jeremiah 14:12 Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague."

Zech 7:5 Ask all the people of the land and the priests, 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted?'

Clearly, all fasting does not please God.  I reasoned that if God didn't command us when and how to fast, I could learn something by reading about the very first fast recorded in Scripture, by whom and why; and ultimately, why Jesus fasted.   If anyone could fast in a way to please the Father, it is Jesus.

The first fast recorded was Moses in Exodus 34:2: "Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain."

Jesus' fast is Matt 4:1.  "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil."

In each, God called them to the fast.  Had I really been called by God to fast on Mondays, or did I just want to experience something amazing and be a part of the gang?  Was it really God I was fasting for?  So what pleases God about a fast? 
Being changed or transformed by the fast.

Compare Isaiah 58:3-5 with verses 58:6-9 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?  Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.  Then you will call, and the LORD will answer . . ."

See the before and after?  The actions verbs that please God that come from fasting: to loose, untie, set free, break yokes, share food.  And not for "only a day."  Notice, too, that there is no mention at all of going without food.  In fact, He says share your food.

Again, compare the "before" of Zechariah 7:5 with the "after"  in verses 8-10:  "And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah:  "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.  Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'

In Exodus 34:29 we learn that Moses was transformed physically.  He was so radiant from his fast and His time spent with God that he had to wear a veil.

Because Jesus was and is always perfect, we can't exactly say that Jesus as a man was transformed, but we do see that His life on earth, His ministry on earth, was changed from that moment forward.

Our goal is to fast in a way which pleases God, not to please self.  Consider all the book titles that I mentioned previously.  Who is the focal point of those fasts?   Self.

So from these Scriptures, we have a few principles about a fast that pleases God:

1)  God calls or invites us to fast

2)  A fast for God, a fast chosen by God
3)  One that changes us.  It is transforming. 

My Journey into Fasting - Part II

                                                    Fasting P's and Q's - by Linda Young

II.  Plan and Prepare for Prayer

One of my journal entries went something like this:  Thank you Lord, for keeping me so hectic and busy all day long that I didn't even realize I was fasting. Seriously?  That can't be right.  In Isaiah 58:4 (NIV), God says that "you do as you please."  Contrast that and my journal entry with Joel 1:14 and  2:15-16 where God calls the people to sanctify a fast, consecrate, set aside, declare holy.

But there I was, doing as I pleased, going about my routine and doing all my normal things.  I was going without food for no reason.  Oh, sure, when my tummy grumbled I would shoot up an arrow prayer as I worked.  But my time was not set apart or sanctified, and there's nothing holy about the noises my tummy made. 

There are two words that Scripture repeatedly links with fasting.

The first word is prayer.  Plan to set apart, to consecrate some time for prayer.  What kind of prayer?

Moses talked to God, but he really listened to God.

 Although Scripture doesn't tell us what Jesus prayed while he was fasting in the desert,  we can assume He was intimately conversing with the Father.  He was being strengthened to overcome temptations and spiritual warfare.

I notice here that both Moses and Jesus spent the time AWAY from their normal life responsibilities and spent the time ALONE with God.

Anna, the prophetess mentioned in Luke 2:37, worshiped as she fasted.

In Nehemiah 9, Israel confessed their sins as they fasted.

The second word linked with fasting is humility, to humble yourself.

My first journal entry went something like this:  I am preparing to fast today.  I have a supply of Gatorade in the frig to prevent dehydration and hopefully prevent roaring headaches, plus a bottle of Tylenol on my desk just in case it doesn't, and a supply of Imodium just in case other issues present themselves.

I wanted to avoid suffering and discomfort.  I was worried with self and the comfort of self.  Can God be pleased with a fast when I'm only worried about myself?  Suffering and adversity changes us (remember the kind of fast that God has chosen).  When we suffer, we start to see things differently.  We can see what is important and what is meaningless.

Comfort has become an idol to us in America.  How often do we avoid things, conversations, people, situations that make us uncomfortable?  We push our uncomfortable clothes to the back of the closet.  We spend money on things that make us more comfortable.  Ever said, "I'm just not comfortable with that." But comfort isn’t always a friend.  Comfort seems to keep us from seeing ourselves as we really are.  We never have to face our true selves, to really evaluate our lives.  If we really did, we might be humbled.  When we really look at ourselves, we will find humble confession in order as part of our prayer.

So plan to set apart time with God in prayer when we fast.  Consecrate it, make it a holy time with God in prayer.  Spend the prayer time in worship, in talking with God and listening to God, being strengthened by Scripture, and humbly confessing our sins.

III.  Practice!!

Another journal entry was one where I was very upset with myself.  It was a day of fasting, and I had wandered out of my office for more Gatorade.  I absent-mindedly picked up a few cookies from the counter and munched on them while I fixed my Gatorade and went back to work.  As soon as I sat down and realized what I had done, I felt awful.  I failed!  What kind of idiot fails at fasting (me, obviously!)

Do you remember the old joke that asks, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice, practice, practice!

There was a book in that list I mentioned that spoke of having a successful fast.

So what is a successful fast?  Is a fast successful when we get the answer we want to our prayer?  Would Queen Esther's fast have been called a success if the king ordered her execution, but the Jews were still saved?  Is it a successful fast if I can make it for 24 hours without food without fainting?

Could it be that a successful fast is one where we have grown closer to the Lord, or felt His calling to ministry, or truly confessed and repented of a sin?  Could it be that any aspect, large or small, of our life or our self is changed from those moments forward?

God knows our heart.  And since it is not the act of doing without food in and of itself that pleases Him, we are free to practice, practice, practice, until we find the fast that works for us.  Even if I ate some cookies, I believe the fast is successful if I have grown closer to God and have learned something new.  Isn't that enough to change me?

IV.   Pitfalls:

What pitfalls prevent us from fasting, or what pitfalls can come from a fast?

1. No time to set aside. 

Really, we don't have to spend an entire 24-hour day fasting.  Again, it's not WHAT and the WAY we do, but our motive and our heart behind it.

2.  Fear
-of failing
-of suffering
-that it won't make a bit of difference?
          And isn't all that just pride? 
Pride of accomplishment 
Pride of self

3.  Embracing legalism of how a fast is done properly.

Concluding point:  Perhaps Brother Lawrence says it best "That all bodily mortifications and other exercises are useless, except as they serve to arrive at the union with God by love . . ."

Ronda's Testimony

It was in the summer of 2012 that Ronda was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma, a very rare, and very aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis.  In the months following the diagnosis, she faced surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, along with the accompanying doctor, unexpected hospital visits. Extreme fatigue became her constant companion, as well as other physical side effects, isolation, emotional, and spiritual struggles.  Now, almost a year later, she shares some of her thoughts and how God carried her through. 

                                                                                                                     

God used people.  First, and foremost, was her husband, Steve, who proved to be a faithful and compassionate caregiver.  Ronda felt abundant love through her family,  church family, friends, and work associates.  Her boss at Parson's graciously gave her the freedom to come in just when she could for as long as she could, and for many months it was not at all.  The support of all encouraged her in tangible ways through meals, cards, emails, and phone calls.  

God used prayer.  Ronda recalled many specific answers to prayer during the long months, and the encouragement of knowing that others were regularly lifting her up in prayer, in general.  One day she realized a prayer she made as a child was now fully answered. Her simple prayer of many years past was to understand unconditional love.  This cancer journey brought with it the realization that God had answered that prayer.  Another prayer that Ronda expressed repeatedly to the Lord was that His will be done.  She prayed for physical healing, (as did many of us), but was willing to accept whatever God's plan was for her life.  The way she signed her emails was an expression of this, "resting and trusting in Him".  What better challenge is there for each of us than that - whatever we are facing? 

God used His word.  The Psalms, especially, ministered to Ronda as she related to David's cries to God with a heart laid bare and honest.  The journal she kept during these months often refers to the verses that God used to minister to her.  Hungrily, she drank in the comfort offered in those chapters. 

In this last year, Ronda repeatedly expressed the desire that God be glorified through this experience, no matter what the future held, and also that others would be blessed through her response to this trial.  At one low point last fall, she told me God revealed to her one specific way she could do that.  Instead of feeling inadequate because she couldn't put her thoughts in words, God reminded her that He had given her creative abilities that could be used to bless others.  She started looking on the internet for head wraps, a covering designed specially for women who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy.  The ideas started flowing and she became excited about how God could use her.  Shortly after that she did a demonstration at Parson's store on head wraps.  With her report of "no cancer" this spring Ronda is looking forward and asks for prayer that God will open up doors for her to combine her creative talents and her cancer experience to touch other women with the love that God has shown her. 



Book List - Prayer

Recommended books on prayer:

A Hunger for God:  Desiring God Through Fasting and Praying by John Piper
Becoming a Woman of Prayer  by Cynthia Heald (TLC study, Fall 2012)
Confessions of a Prayer Slacker by Diane Moody
Handle with Prayer:  Unwrap the Source of God's Strength for Living by Charles Stanley
Praying Backwards:  Transform Your Prayer Life by Beginning in Jesus' Name
       by Bryan Chapell       
Pray Big for Your Marriage:  The Power of Praying God's Promises for Your Relationship
       by Will Davis    
Transforming Prayer:  How Everything Changes When You Seek God's Face
       by Daniel Henderson

Please feel free to suggest books of your own and/or comment on any of them.

What is a Prayer Notebook?

At our ladies retreat this spring, we made prayer

notebooks.  This particular format was inspired by looking at a variety of ones shown on Youtube.  It is a tool that God can use in helping you develop a more intimate relationship with Him through prayer. 

 

This is your notebook, modify these directions as desired.  They are just guidelines to get you started.

How to make a prayer notebook:  

 

Supplies needed:  binder, 9 tab dividers, paper,  paper clips, index cards.  (We used the half size binder which holds  5 1/2" X 8 1/2 " paper.) 

1.      Cover – If you get a clear view binder you can design your own insert into the cover.

        (If you would like this design, leave a comment and I can email you the image.)

2.      Label tabs and insert in to binder:  Praise, Confession, Thanksgiving, Requests, Sunday, Mon-Tues (we used 1 tab for 2 days), Wed-Th, Fri-Sat, Listening  (Adhesive tabs can substituted for the days of the week in place of the tab dividers.)

3.      Insert tab dividers into binder.

4.      On the backside of each divider, paperclip the corresponding index card on which you have written notes pertaining to each category.  They are:

PRAISE:  Praise God for who He is:
         -based on scripture you have just read
         -using names & attributes list
         -songs and hymns
         -selected Psalms
 
CONFESSION: 
      -from Bible reading
      -from sermons or Bible studies
      -other promptings from the Holy Spirit

THANKSGIVING:  What has God done?
      -answers to prayer
      -daily gifts of grace
      -God’s timing and/or intervention

REQUESTS: 
      -write “Daily” on an index card and write names of those for whom you wish to pray daily, clip to back of tab divider.
      -if you are using small adhesive tabs for the days of the week  (you can use 1 tab for 2 days, ie. Mon-Tues), adhere each to a separate page.
    -On the back side of the first page in each section for the day of the week, make a list  of whom you will pray for that day.  If your tab is for two days you can make 2 columns of names.  (This will be the left half of 2 facing pages.)  On the right half put any specific requests you may have for these people. 
     -If you have a prayer partner you may want to make a tab specifically for her.
     -we inserted here handouts related to praying for our husband and  praying scripture

LISTENING:  What God has said to me through:
      -reading the Bible
      -sermons
      -Bible studies or books
      -life lessons learned
      -prayer

 

      5.  Insert paper in each section

Tip:  you may want to add a notepad in the front flap of your notebook to jot down any random thoughts that come to you during your prayer time so you can attend to it later and prevent distractions from taking you away from your prayer time.
    
This notebook can help transform you prayer life only if it is used.  It is a tool to guide you into delight, not a slave to drive you into duty.  

 

 

 

 

Prayer of Jacob

     The prayer of Jacob in Genesis 32:9-12 is rarely highlighted in a study of the prayers of the Bible, but it is a beautiful prayer, worthy of pondering.
      9 Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,’ ¹⁰ I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. ¹¹ Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children. ¹² For You said, ‘I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.’

     What words indicate Jacob's praise of God?  How well do you know God and His words to you so that praise freely flows from your lips.  When we really see who God is, it humbles us and we see who we really are - His servants.  What is implied in the role of us being a servant? Where do you see a heart of gratefulness in Jacob's words? 
     Jacob honestly admits his fear and anxiety as he anticipates meeting Esau after living far away with his uncle Laban for many years.  He left home, fleeing for his life because of Esau's anger over Jacob's deceitful scheme to obtain their father's blessing.  Now as nears home, he doesn't know what to expect.  His response is to pray, and his prayer includes thanksgiving.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, WITH THANKSGIVING, let your requests be made known to God.  Phil 4:6  How quick are you to pray when you are fearful or anxious.  Does your prayer include thanksgiving?  Jacob then gives a specific request.  How specific are you when you pray?  How does Jacob end this prayer?  What promises of God can encourage you in the situations you are facing today?  Take a few minutes and ponder them.  Who do you know that you could encourage by sharing one or two with them?  It could make a big difference.  
     What else do you see in this prayer?  How does it challenge you?


 

Prayer of Jehoshophat

By looking at the prayer of Jehosphophat in II Chronicles 20:1-23, we are reminded that we are in a spiritual battle, and that prayer is a powerful weapon God gives us for victory against whatever "enemy" we are facing.  Jehoshaphat stands as an example to us that that the battles in our lives begin in our hearts and minds, and thus prayer should be our first response. His prayer provides a wonderful pattern for us as he begins with praise for who God is, reviews His past faithfulness, reminds the people of God's promises and their commitment to seek Him in trouble, expresses dependence on and trust in the Sovereign God and includes only one request:  will you not judge them?.  How quick am I to humbly tell God I am powerless in the situation, need Him and that my eyes are on Him?  Do I turn over the situation to God, giving up my own rights and efforts in the flesh so that I can watch Him work?  Satan knows that there is power in the prayers of God's people so he will try to distract and derail us from using the weapon we have been given to use.  Am I training myself to use it and then actually doing so?  Jehoshophat's prayer is an effective training tool from which we can learn much.  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 6:10,12.  In the verses immediatly following Paul describes the spiritual armor we have and he ends with, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Notice that our prayers aren't just for our own battles, but for one another.  We don't fight alone.  So let's encourage one another when we don't know what to do to keep our eyes on Him and use our powerful weapon - prayer. 

The Prayer that Never Fails

     As Father Tim of Jan Karon's Mitford Series was fond of saying, the prayer that never fails is  Jesus' prayer in the garden the night before he was crucified, "thy will be done".  These words may glibly fall from our lips because of their familiarity but let's ponder them.  Though Jesus did express His personal desire, He wanted His Father's will more than His own.  Do I want God's will more than I want my own?  Do I remember to ask Him what His will is?  When I do submit to God's will, with what kind of attitude do I do it?  I recently read, (unfortuantely, I cannot remember where), that it is only when we come to the place where we can eqully accept any outcome from our request that we can honestly say "thy will be done".  How do we get there?  We can ask God to get us there by considering the good and benficial results He could bring about whether the answer to our request is no, yes, or wait.
     This morning the Lord took me to a passage that perfectly exemplifies this attitude.  In Jeremiah 42:1-6, the people asked Jeremiah to petition God regarding His will in a situation.  (Remember, they didn't have access to God like we do today through Christ.)  Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the Lord your God will send you to us.  ⁶ Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God.” 
Do I tell God I will obey, regardless of what He wants me to do?  Do I make that committment before I know His answer?  Is there something right now I am avoiding because I think it will be unpleasant or painful?  God gives us the grace (desire and power) to obey, but we have to make the choice.  Let's appropriate His grace - today!