DEAR GOD: You Fill Me With Your Joy~

Psalm 103:1-5, ESV Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The LORD gives me strength and guides me each day of my life, My soul and my heart are His, and I surrender to His will all the days of my life and beyond.

When we celebrate His love for us we are confident in our abilities as a child of Christ. We can be joyous knowing that our journey here on earth will be resilient in His cords of love that bind us with His Spirit. We are all united as one Body of Christ, and it is cause for continuous thanks and jubilation.

Do you celebrate your life that has purpose and meaning in Christ? Do you have joy in knowing that He is with you always? And do you take time to thank Him daily?

“Father, thank You for Your love, Your protection, and Your harness of security that surrounds me constantly, every second and minute of my life, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

DEAR GOD: You Are My Perfect Peace~

 

 

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Colossians 3:15 (KJV)

My pastor did a play on words while speaking of “Peace” of God.  He equated it to a puzzle.  You know, the type of puzzle put together on the table, a former family favorite of days gone by of which some of you may recall.

Well, many a time having worked so diligently on the puzzle only to find there is “one piece missing.”  Did that ever happen to you?   Well, it’s like our presence, it’s not complete without that final piece of the puzzle.  That would be GOD.

He is the missing piece of the puzzle which ostensibly brings about PEACE.

Throughout the Bible there are references relating to knowing “peace” and having secured it only through the “Spiritual” aligning of His word and His Spirit.  Without it there is no peace. It’s simple and complex.  Simple to those who know and have an intimate relationship with Christ. Yet complex to those who haven’t yet accepted Him into their lives.

You’ll recall the famous sign that many churches display: NO GOD – NO PEACE.  KNOW GOD–KNOW PEACE.   Well, that is precisely what He is all about.  That is what His Presence, His light, His love, and His word accomplish within us.  We know perfect peace when we’re one with Him.

The world can literally tumble and fall around us (which these days it seems it is happening as such) …but knowing God will keep us free from anxiety and worry.

As Jesus said in Matthew 7:31 :34 (KJV)— “Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek :) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow:  for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof…”

God loves us and He creates us with that love and there is no fear in love.

As stated in 1 John 4:18 (KJV) – There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

And by knowing He loves us…we have peace.  In peace, there is no fear. So, it goes…

When we exhibit and therefore take on the behavior of Christ in what we do… we eventually lose sight of “the world” and take up the Spiritual aspect of living. Things that mattered before, no longer have a place in our life. When people push us to the limits the Spirit will guide and give us the wisdom as to the handling of such circumstances. At times, we might not even be aware of such folly. It’s difficult to describe walking in the Spirit and wearing the gospel armor other than to say, it brings peace.

The pastor also gave another good example of “love and peace.”  It was like describing a certain food to someone who’s never had it.  You can describe it, but you cannot really know until you’ve tasted of it.  Such is the love and the peace and the rewards of knowing God and participating in His banquet which all of us can partake of.

Stop, drink and eat of His presence and His love.  I promise, but most especially and most important—HE promises the rewards are boundless.  Amen.

“Father, God, thank You for Your peace and Your protection and providence over my life, today, tomorrow and always, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7 (KJV)

 

“The pastures of His love go beyond explanationIt is to graze endlessly and be fulfilled, refreshed, and thirsty no more. The peace and the love that lives within is the ultimate freedom and expression of eternal rewards…”
My response in an article I was interviewed for in 2015 when asked about God’s love…

DEAR GOD: Shine Your Light~

Isaiah 60:1 KJV- Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

 

LORD, shine Your light from high above in the world that seems to be under darkness as of late. Help those in anguish, and those in ill health, help those trapped in situations that seem hopeless, help those who are experiencing loss of a loved one, or those who are trapped in a bad marriage, or those who are tempted to ignore God’s Word and commandments, help those who haven’t yet come to You, or those who have turned their backs on You, help these individuals, help those who are addicted by something in their lives that are keeping them from experiencing life through You and Your Word, help those who go against Your Word, and help the World that is in such disarray my LORD, only YOU can change things with a wave of Your hand, or by Your Word, all those reading this right now, may their prayers be heard, and if it is Your will, may it be done, in Jesus’ precious name, Amen.”

I felt it in my heart, God laid it upon me to write that prayer, someone out there is in need of prayers this very moment, so turn to the One who can help You, never give up, or lose faith, cause God’s timing and Will is perfect. Hang in there, hold on, and know that He hears You, and is there with You.

God is like oxygen. You can’t see it, but we NEED IT TO BREATHE. So, breathe!  Take in the LORD, follow Him and His Word, and know that He will never leave or forsake You.

Accept Him as LORD and Savior. Jesus said, “no one goes to the Father, but through Me”(John 14:6) — He also says, “Whatever you ask in my name to the Father, it shall be done” (John 14:13) Those two verses meditate upon them, realize the depth of what that means, and accept Him as LORD.

  • Jesus is LORD, and LORD above all.
  • Praise His name, Amen!

“Father, may I do all I can to please You, may I always walk in obedience to You, may I turn from all temptations, and may I share You Word and be Your servant all the days of my life, and I pray for all those reading this message, I pray for all issues to be resolved in their lives, and that they are obedient to You and Your Son, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

 

John 8:12 KJV- Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 

Ephesians 5:8- KJV For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

 

John 3:16 KJV -For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

DEAR GOD: You Lift Me Over The Fires & Bring Beauty~

Beauty for Ashes | Prophetic Light

 

To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” 
Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV)

I began walking through the doors God was opening for me, so many years ago.  And as anyone who is a follower, or filled with unwavering faith, it makes a difference in every single scenario during our lifetime.

When we are well acquainted with the LORD’s promises, and His voice, we can endeavor to overtake and undertake, all kinds of circumstances.  That obviously pertains to both good and bad times and all of those in between times.

Life brings a series of gains, along with the losses.  In the progression of life, we lose loved ones along the way.  There are those we expect to “die before us” and it’s usually our grandparents, or parents, which hits full force in the pit of the stomach.  But those are expected, albeit sad and gut wrenching no less.

Some who are reading this at this moment have recently lost their spouses, and are finding themselves in a “new kind of reality.” Life is not the way it was any longer, and they are hurting.

Then there are the unexpected, and totally out of the realm of reality situations, like the loss of a precious child.  Or a young friend, that lost their life by a fatal error in an operating room, and yet another individual being killed by a driver that was under the influence.

All of these situations are horrific, some more shocking than others. I’m sure there are so many others, who have had their hearts slashed to ribbons. No matter the circumstances—Grief is real, it hurts, and it’s exhausting to the mind, heart, body and soul.

This morning when I woke up, and thanked God for another day, I felt that “someone visiting my site” needed to read, and hear this today.

The Spirit within led me to write this, and whomever you are right now, I pray it blessed you. I pray God’s light and comfort wash over you and bring you a semblance of peace and guidance from above.

Through so many “dark times” in which I’ve lost my grandparents, parents, my very best friend, acquaintances and the loss of our fur baby, whom we adored…There was one common denominator in all of the sad times…God had been there non-stop.

Just as I know He’s there for you right this moment. He has been with us all along. His promises are real, secure, and never ending. Especially His love.

He has given me bouquet upon bouquet of beauty,  for my clenched fists full of ashes.  And He will do the same for you.

Thank God, for the majority of individuals, life overall can be filled with joy.  However, on the same hand, it can be blistering painful.

But how we manage to get through it, is what it’s all about.

When we embrace, and realize that God is ever faithful, the same today, as He was yesterday, or tomorrow—and realize His promises are true—We can certainly get through life as He holds us up with His right hand of righteousness.

He promises us “beauty for our ashes,” as He did with Joseph.  He did so with Ruth, and for Job, and a host of others throughout the ages in the Bible and to this very day in time.

There is always an “open door” that God will guide us through.  Or an open window, to let the fresh air in, when we recognize that the LORD’s promises, and His unrelenting love are there for us all the time.  We then are able to see potential in every situation we face, because we are facing it alone. Nope, we are NOT ALONE.

Because no matter how we are suffering, He hears and sees us. He counts our tears, and He always has a plan for us…for our betterment, and for our peace.

When we know Him, it gets easier to face our adversities, no one said it’s easy, but it is so much better when the LORD is in the center of our lives, and we understand that He is in control.

 

“Father, thank You for always providing the path and the door for me to walk through, for opening a window for those moments in my life I couldn’t breathe from so much pain and grief, and for always loving me, may I always be mindful of Your grace, and Your gifts from above,  I pray for those who are in need of Your touch, and  for those who are suffering, may they find comfort in You, and seek Your face in all they do, in Jesus name, Amen.”

 

DEAR GOD: LOVE & THANKS FOR YOUR HELP~

 

Praise ye the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exhalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. (Psalm 112:1 KJV)

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And, if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.  (Romans 8:16-17 KJV)

 

I realize that God is with us through all kinds of scenarios and have discovered that to be true too numerous to count and today I had a moment where I was exceedingly frustrated.   My computer wasn’t recognizing my password and therefore wasn’t allowing me to get in. After several attempts “login failed…password unknown” I took a deep breath. I shut down and tried to get by safe mode and go into recovery, but my keyboard wasn’t allowing me to choose! This went on for about an hour.  I asked God for help, and His wisdom.  I called a “geek” squad, and they told me to bring in the computer and for about one hundred dollars they’d try to recover and make an attempt to get in.  However, if that failed, they’d have to install windows from scratch, and I’d lose all of my info.  I knew that myself-that is why I wanted to see if there was a way to get in without the process of reinstalling a new window.

Anyhow, to make a long story short, I remembered I had another keyboard in my garage.  I went to retrieve it, connected the old keyboard, shut down the computer and lo and behold, I was able to choose safe mode and go into recovery default!!!  Hallelujah, and praise GOD!  He helped me again.

I felt His presence with me the entire time very strongly in fact. It was His wisdom that led me to all of the circumstances to figure this out.  And behold, it was done. So, Thank You God for fixing my computer!

Which brings me to the message for this post, no matter the circumstances, God is with us.”  He is with us and will never desert us. No matter how big or how small. Nothing is too big or too small for our God.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9 KJV)

The significance of His Spirit and His wisdom is what keeps us “going” in all that we undertake and oversee on a daily basis.  We should never believe “we do it on our own”–He empowers us with His presence from within and guides us through all aspects thereof.

So thank You Lord for once again being there…how absolutely amazing You are! I love you so much.

Computer giving you trouble? –No problem, call God, after all who do you think taught that computer geek?

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And, if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.  (Romans 8:16-17 KJV)

“Father, thank You for all You are and do, and thank You for Your guidance and strength, and Your wisdom and love that pours over me like a warm soothing balm, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

DEAR GOD: You Are The One & Only Leader~

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus Christ needs no introduction. He is the most famous person ever to live in this world. And arguably to this day, not one person has ever usurped His story, which is the ‘Greatest Love Story Ever Told” and accomplished by One Amazing Entity, Jesus Christ Almighty! He came to live and be crucified, face death and conquer the grave, and then He was resurrected. Now my brothers and sisters, that is some love story.

To think that the Father, gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16) FOR US!  This sacrifice is something that the average human mind cannot grasp or comprehend. The act in which He gladly took on to save us is mind blowing. To think that someone could love us that much?

Thank about it for a minute. Imagine we were alive at that time and witness to the Greatest Person ever to walk this earth, didn’t commit any crimes, wasn’t guilty of sin, was blameless, performed miracles, helped and healed countless individuals of maladies. Including, blindness, deafness, leprosy, exorcisms, raising Lazarus and others from death…and went to the worst death possible for us!

When we think of His miracles and His unconditional love, shouldn’t we readily fall into place, and follow Him without falter, and apply His doctrine, and the fundamental foundation of His gospel into every aspect of our lives?

The promises of Jesus are many, but some of them are as follows:

  • Philippians 4:19 – But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
  • 2 Peter 1:4 – Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
  • Matthew 5:3 – “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for Him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”
  • John 6:37 – “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
  • Hebrews 13:5 – “I will never leave you nor forsake you.

These are just some of the promises of the LORD, and enough for me to be humbled by His love. I accept Him as my LORD and Savior.

He is waiting for His children to come to know Him, and accept Him in their lives. Question, if you haven’t accepted Him, what is your reason for ignoring the most famous and most loving altruistic Being that ever existed?

“Dear LORD, thank You for Your Son, and for Your love, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”

 

DEAR GOD: I LOVE YOU & TRUST YOU~

 

Be still and know that I am God…
Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

It’s natural for issues to crop up during one’s lifetime, to be fair it wouldn’t be life without spending time in the valley. It’s all part of growing in the Lord and being a faithful follower of Christ. Not that the Lord wants His children to suffer, half the time we are the problem, and we build our OWN circumstances from lack of obedience to the Lord. No, that isn’t what I meant. What I mean to say is…we can grow in adversity and get closer to God in the meantime. It’s how we handle the cards that are in our hand that is key to our optimal health and overall growth.

It’s easy to get up and pull the “woe is me…what will I do? Nobody knows my pain…nobody knows what I’m going through. Oh…nobody understands…” So on and so forth. This is commonplace for many individuals for sure. However, it’s how you get out of it that sets us apart from the world. How do we brace ourselves in the face of a crisis? How do we pull out from the damage all around us? How do we soothe a broken heart? We CANNOT…but GOD CAN. The Lord CAN and DOES all things for all those who believe and ask.

It’s how we purpose our lives in accordance with HIS will NOT ours. It’s how we handle the stresses that crop up that will ultimately decide our fate and course of action. That is through God. We wait upon the Lord.

Don’t think He isn’t doing the same for you?  He is waiting for you too!

He is watching and knowing our situation. Every single one of us, He knows what we are going through. And He is watching and waiting for our growth in Him. He wants us to learn before He brings a solution, sometimes delays are part of God’s overall plan. Part of His agenda on a larger scale. The delays that come about in our lives do not destroy us, they fulfill God’s purpose by making us stronger thereby making us better people, in Christ.

We need GOD. ALL of us do.

When we leave God out of the equation by trying to take matters into our own hands, that’s when we can get into trouble. It can be frustrating for sure.   The Bible maintains in 2 Peter 3:8  “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

So, remember God is not in a hurry, all things on His timetable, not ours. His timing is perfect, not ours. His way is superior, ours is inferior. Our thoughts are not His thoughts, and His actions are not our actions. We need to be patient and go with His flow and wait. We will gain the insight and the fortitude in which to grow as we listen, wait and heed His ways and timing. We will reap the rewards of such diligence in time. HIS TIME. Don’t lose heart. Trust. Wait. Love Him.

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9 (KJV)

It is written that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings, as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. God promises this. His promises are real, eternal, and all part of His plan to prosper us and do good things for us. We need to figure Him in the equation of our lives. All things point to Him, and Him. We need to go into conference with HIM for all the answers. For all of our issues. For it all…Nothing is too small or too big for God. Nothing. He knows WHEN and He knows how it will come. But our faith should be relentless and unwavering, as should our trust in God. For with all of that, and with His hands of grace and love…we will get through anything.

We need to keep our eyes on the Lord and absorb His word and His essence. To all things do it by prayer and obedience in the Lord. In supplication, in joyful meditation of the Lord. And wait and trust and know He will provide the answers to your dilemmas. To all things, He will lead us out of the wilderness, and into certainty. He will turn our world upright again…His light thus shines so brightly. Follow His light, turn from the darkness. Absorb His goodness. And, above all be patient and know that He is going to supply You with provisions that will overflow and bring you into eternal rewards, Amen!

For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry-Habakkuk 2:3 (NKJV)                                                           

DEAR GOD: YOUR LOVE IS REFRESHING~

I will refresh those who are weary and will satisfy with food everyone who is weak from hunger.
Jeremiah 31:25 (GNT)

Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
Proverbs 1:23 (KJV)

 His love is reviving and refreshing and is a banquet of joy in and of itself.  And it’s fully satisfying having knowledge of such things in our hearts.  When a soul realized the depths of His love and realizes His pardoning grace and providence in our lives, it is well within and without in all we do.

With Christ, there is an abundance of life. He offers us unmerited favor and grace in His love and sacrifice, which provided our salvation, as we can rest in Him, with peace, joy and hope.

Our day-to-day struggles may vary, and like the tides, invariably will ebb and flow, and so it goes. But Christ’s love is ever steady. A powerful presence in our life. His resurrection an ever-constant reminder of the promise of eternal rewards, and our redemption in which He gave willingly on the cross.

The battle of good versus evil has been going on since the beginning of time, and rages on this very moment all across the world.  But rest easy in Christ, take His yoke because it is easy and light. Shake off the yoke of the “world” as it is treacherous, suffocating, and hard.

When we rest in Christ and follow His footsteps of love we are qualifying for a higher promotion in our spiritual growth and depositing dividends into our eternal rewards.

Have you made a deposit today in His name?

“Father God, thank You for Your love that is never ending, and love which is ever faithful, may I praise You in all I do, this day and always, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

DEAR GOD: Thank You For The Bridge To You~

See the source image

 The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17

 

Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God.

When we read Joshua, there are key elements that are glaringly apparent throughout the book.  We become aware of God’s presence that energizes our work. We become critically and keenly aware of how we must TRUST GOD, and by so doing, it means trusting Him fully because He can see beyond what we can see.

We must remember that God doesn’t require us to understand His will, but in fact…simply obey it, even it is seeming unreasonable to “our mind” which is far inferior to that of our Father’s mind.

He instructs Joshua to stay in the “Word” and not to depart from His “law.”

In Joshua 1:8; the Lord states with undeniably clarity and tenacity, “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.”

He is reinforcing the importance of staying with His Word and Law, and doing what is required in order to fulfill His Will.  And, assuring us that when we do, we will be prosperous and have good success!

This was the same command He issued to future Israelite kings in Deuteronomy 17:19–he was to meditate on the Word of God everyday knowledge of God’s will is crucial to doing so.  And this is so to this day.

God didn’t change.

His Word didn’t change.

His Will and Law didn’t change-(Sacrificial blood ordinance changed…Jesus Blood took care of that).

His plans for our success and purpose didn’t change.

And, most especially…His love didn’t expire or change…He still loves all of His children.

He declared in Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

It is so easy to focus on “our problems” which we can see, and not on God, whom we can’t see.  As Joshua discovered, “God is with us no matter where we are, no matter what we are going through, and He is with us no matter how big or how small our problem is…He is with us ALWAYS.

He will never leave us nor forsake us.

He will never stop loving us.

He is a faithful and merciful God.

He will forgive us, over and over again.

Remember that Joshua knew all about adversity. He wandered in the wilderness for forty years. He was “way qualified” in the adversity department.  But He never lost sight of the fact that God was with Him throughout it all. And when it was time for the people of God to cross the Jordan River, Joshua was named by God to take over.

When we go to Him in prayer, we are trusting Him and surrendering to Him.  Understanding that God’s way is far different than ours is a vital and critical component in connecting with Him on so many levels.

For although He is with us, He is far above us in all aspects, and so this is why we must surrender to His will. Trust Him fully in order for Him to provide a deeper realm and open up to Him and expose yourself entirely to His hands of mercy and will.

Obedience is a “must” and a high priority in every believer’s life. The Holy Spirit enables us to walk obediently before God, in His strength, and His power. Amen.

Choose to obey Him, even if you don’t understand why. He is asking you to do something…when we do, we can fully expect to become the person God is molding us to be, and to bear fruit that is highly favorable with the Lord almighty.

When we do all of this according to His will and purpose, you can expect to receive rewards that will overwhelm you with joy and love.

So, at times, we need to be still and know that He is God… in order to fulfill our purpose according to the Master.

He is God.  We are His.  His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Be prepared and prepare to do all that He wills in your life.

“Thank You Father, for leading, guiding and directing me all the days of my life, in Jesus’ name, Amen and Amen!”

 

DEAR GOD: Thank You For Your Love~

 

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.
Song of Solomon 6:3 (NKJV)

Every single day, we walk under the canopy of God’s amazing love. His love which is totally perfect, as He is perfection personified. His love remains intact, it never changes, even if we wander away from Him, or His will for our lives, and disobey. He still will love us, fully and completely.

His banner over me was love (Song 2:4). God continuously demonstrates His love toward us. Apostle Paul writes, “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). He did it willingly, openly, lovingly, selflessly, and yet some of us can scarce believe it or grasp the notion or the reality of the magnitude of this act.

We try to understand, and yet we can’t comprehend that His love for us is different than the love we feel for others. Our love is real, yes…but it pales in comparison to His love for us.

His gift is love. We may not believe that we are worthy of this great love. But we cannot earn it, or give anything in return for it, God instead, offers it freely to us, as a gift. Furthermore, the love of our LORD will bless us forever. It stands forever, and it never decreases…it is always readily available, and it is one of His many characteristics.

God will always love us, so rejoice and embrace His love, a love that is like no other. A love that is beyond the scope of our understanding.

How deep is your love for the LORD?

“Father, thank You for loving me no matter what, I thank You and adore You, and will forever more, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”