Category: prayer

Understanding God’s Love and Protection

Come to realize that when you turn your eyes toward me, you are not turning them to a distant point, but inward to your mind, your spirit, your heart, and your body.

Meditation Thought: “For my eyes are toward You, O God, the Lord;
In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless.” (Psalm 141:8)

When your eyes are on me, you have total refuge and total defense. This is because in me you find knowledge, wisdom, guidance and strength.

Come to realize that when you turn your eyes toward me, you are not turning them to a distant point, but inward to your mind, your spirit, your heart, and your body. It is in these places that I’d dwell, through your faith in Jesus Christ as your savior.

The more you comprehend that we are so close together, as arm in arm the more effectively you can perceive my will

You have been conceiving of me as separate from you. Conceive of me as close as anyone can be to you, in body, in mind, in sympathetic understanding of common emotions, in a rapport of having similar character.

In this way, you’ll be able to feel my presence in you, and will be able to live the life of the new creature in Christ.

You are my beloved child, for whom I not only would sacrifice my own life, but I did! This is how much I love you! This is the extent to which I go to ensure you’re having a place of refuge and a sure defense. Now, do you understand the scripture for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and a sound mind?

This spirit, which I have given you in response to your faith in Jesus as savior is the Holy Spirit: the spirit of power and love and a sound mind.

The purpose of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit is to blend you and me together into such close association that we become as one in thought, in word, and in deed.

No matter the circumstances, no matter the intent of evil, or those who are ignorant, always those who have their eyes on me, and my spirit within, living resurrection out of death, good out of harm, and rescue out of peril, for I am their defense. I am power, I am love, I am sound mind, and no foe can overthrow these.

Understanding God’s Affection

It is not the earthly ‘king’ who rules my destiny, but my beloved heavenly “Daddy”.

Meditation Thought: “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?…  I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” (Esther 4:14, 16)

A response to God’s call to be brave:

“Oh, Lord; Father, “Daddy”. I know now why Jesus said “Abba” – “Daddy”. It is a term that defines our relationship more accurately than the term “Father”. “Daddy” connotes deep affection, sweet, happy communion, a relationship in which confidences are shared and enjoyed.

This is what I see more clearly now that You desire – and it is what I have been unknowingly longing for, even searching for – almost panicking for. Now I understand that, no matter what happens, you will assure that I will be all right, wherever I am, whatever form I am in. To the extent that I follow Your suggestions, to that extent will the heavens open up their glories, and miracles of reconciling love appear.

You aren’t so concerned that I choose to be brave so that your purposes may be fulfilled (for you can always do this through others), but You delight in my joy at success in being brave, at my realization of Your power and of our sweet communion.

You want me to say: “if I perish, I perish”, not out of disgusted resignation, or fear of guilty conscience if I refuse to approach the king, but in the knowledge of, and awareness of, the high sense of purpose – a grandeur of being an important part of destiny – of being a true, competent, loyal representation of Your Kingdom, of Your people as I approach the king of this world, whoever that “king” is in the circumstances (the kingdom) of the moment.

May I be content with the verdict of the ‘king’, for it is not the king who rules my destiny, but my beloved “Daddy”.

Finding Your Haven

Listen to yourself. Watch yourself. Would your words appear logical if they were reported in the New Testament as having spoken by Christ? Would your actions appear to be appropriate if reported as His actions by the gospel writers?

Meditation Thought: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2-3)

Your mind, your will, your personality: all transformed by Christ through the Spirit whenever you are thinking on ‘things above’. ‘Things above’ are the eternal values, the ‘treasures in heaven’. To concentrate on these is to change your words and actions at the worldly level, through your mind projecting into words and actions – Christ’s words and Christ’s actions.

Listen to yourself. Watch yourself. Would your words appear logical if they were reported in the New Testament as having spoken by Christ? Would your actions appear to be appropriate if reported as His actions by the gospel writers?

You know Christ’s words. You know Christ’s actions. People he knew were no different than people you know. Despite the years since Christ walked the earth, it is possible to follow Him as a contemporary, as far as the problems posed, and the actions and reactions possible. Only the names have changed!

How did Christ interact with his friends, his enemies? His mind was on things ‘above’ – He prayed to His father seeking His Father’s will – and then He spoke and acted.

When your mind is ‘hidden with Christ in God’, in meditation and prayer, then shall your words and deeds be the Son’s and the Father’s for your will has died to be raised up and transformed by the will of the Son which was totally yielded to the will of the Father.

Jesus left his imprint for you to follow. As you follow that imprint, as a child imitates, you reproduce His imprint on things below. You feed the hungry, heal the sick, forgive, don’t judge, minister, clothe the naked, encourage the downhearted. In other words – you love! You give your ‘life’ (selfish desires) to be killed for others, that they might come to find your ‘hiding place’. You – and they – envisioned it as a grave. But your hiding place is not a grave; it is a haven.

Wherever God is, wherever Christ is, that place is a ‘haven’ – a ‘heaven’ – a safe place and a glorious place.

Step-by-Step: Seeking Lord’s Guidance in Decision Making

Do not make complications where none are intended.

Meditation Thought: “Moses answered them, ‘Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.'” (Numbers 9:8)

Look before you leap. Look to the Lord – where? You have His Word, you have His life – both as a record and His strength within you. Do not make complications where none are intended. Step by step, do what seems right After
1. Prayer
2. Listening
3. Analyzing for
a) priorities
b) the details of the situation
c) likely consequences – both positive and negative.

And, when the deed is done, pray the Lord’s will be done – and trust that it will, and do not speculate any further.

Finding Peace in God’s Grace

Take heart!

Meditation Thought: “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord let his face shine upon you…” (Numbers 6:24-25a)

But you want to choose the way of blessing don’t you? You want to decide where He keeps you? And you want His face to shine on you whether you are within His kingdom, or whether you are rebelling in the world?

Take heart! You at least recognize your willfulness, stubbornness and contrariness. You want to want the Father’s will – and that is a beginning!

Stay in prayer, in supplication, in thanksgiving – and make your requests known. You shall have “the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4) – it may be that your desires shall be what is changed, not circumstances. Do not plot and plan, get tense and fight what is disappointing to you. Relax. My Grace is sufficient for you. Do you believe this?

(Yes, Lord. I believe – help my unbelief!) (Mark 9:24)

The Interpreter

Take my personality and clean it, shine it, give it the glowing health of my Savior’s ministrations and inheritance.

Meditation Thought: “The Spirit himself intercedes for …according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

The Spirit is the interpreter between God and man – the message-bearer – the One who understands God and understands man and brings the two together that the bond might be closer, the communication more complete, the Father’s works done more speedily and completely.

Suggested Prayer: Holy Spirit – dwell in me mightily; I ask You to work in me to your fullest desire, that Father’s will might be also my way, my path, my works and my manner. Take my personality and clean it, shine it, give it the glowing health of my Savior’s ministrations and inheritance brought to me through You, who move from the realm of heaven where He resides to the realm of the world where I reside. Holy Spirit, move in my mind, in my heart, in my spirit, in my soul, my emotions, my body – cause them to vibrate with Your power – the power of love – of LOVE, divine love, beyond any love I’ve known or could know without Your Presence within me. Through you I cry to the Father – in need, and in joy, too – “Have your own way, Lord, have your own way.”

The Divine Purpose of Creation

Your shape, your form, your destiny depend upon your choice… to cling to yourself or to yield to me.

Meditation Thought: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)

“Love is the healer; love is the joy; love is the pleasure – love, love, love. Love is the elixir – the potion – the only one needed to right every wrong, heal every hurt, fill every heart with peace. My love I pour in unbounding, unending supply – wherever the willing heart, the open mind, the yielding will absorbs it – there is a soul transformed.

Jesus the Christ – see Him, obey His instructions and your knowledge of My love, your ingesting of My love, your renewal by My love fulfills the divine purpose of creation: My love flowing out, your love flowing back, freely given, joyously give, loyally given. The continuous stream of love purifies all who enter into it, cleanses the sin of rebellion and all the sins resulting from that sin. Increase the flow of the stream of love by reaching for more and more of My love to channel back to Me.

Seed the clouds of My love with the Word, the Son, the Spirit within you: the replacing of the parts in you which are rebellious, sinful, unrighteous and unloving – selfish and ego-controlled, with the Word, the Son and the Spirit is the act of seeding My love – releasing it in torrents which will overflow the banks of your life. I want you to replace everything that your free will rejected of Me with My image clearly stamped on every part of you, and every aspect of your life. But I will not force this replacement. You must hand to me, whether willingly or reluctantly, every facet of your life, and I will return it to you – purified by the blood of Jesus, glowing with My love, enriched by the Spirit. Your shape, your form, your destiny depend upon your choice… t0 cling to yourself or to yield to me, bit by bit, moment by moment every physical, spiritual, mental and emotional aspect of your life. Hear and understand, see and perceive, understand with your heart, that I may heal you.”

The Ultimate Travel Destination

Jesus has travelled the way and made His travelogue available that the pitfalls may be avoided, that the road may be well-marked for you. But if you do not consult His book nor look at His signs, you stumble and detour – and wonder why the trip is difficult.

Meditation Thought: “For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fulness of time, to unite all things to him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Ephesians 1:9-10)

When you start along a highway, you can only trust that it reaches the destination you desire – you cannot see that destination. The only way you can experience the reality of the highway leading to this destination is to travel it, despite distractions and detours.

Experience the reality of the highway of My people! Many have travelled it before you, and written of the way. Their experiences will aid you, encourage you. Seek every source of information of how to travel the road of My believers which leads to Me. You can move swiftly, accurately, confidently if you use every means at your disposal to make the journey be all that I intended it to be: exciting and with a confidence of peace when you trust in My help along the way for every roadblock Satan sets before you. Take each step in trust, knowing that I am with you to help you around, over or through all obstacles which would keep you from the destination.

But your free will is the key to being stuck or to moving on when you encounter an obstacle. Pause, think, pray, every time anything slows your movement. Together we shall move to the completion of the journey – slowly or speedily, pleasantly or painfully, confidently or hesitantly, inspiringly or ploddingly, in good humor or grumbling, trustingly or doubtfully – the manner of the movement depends upon you. Jesus has travelled the way and made His travelogue available that the pitfalls may be avoided, that the road may be well-marked for you. But if you do not consult His book nor look at His signs, you stumble and detour – and wonder why the trip is difficult.

Read your instruction, heed your instructions, fill yourself with the power of the Spirit to move you by opening your mind, your heart, your will to heavenly fuel – but closing them to the blandishments, the deceits, the temptations of the fuel offered by Satan. You have the knowledge of which is good fuel and which is evil fuel if you are in My Word and My will. You are in My Word and My will if you are walking in the steps of My Son. He has prepared the way that you might come quickly, even easily, to our Kingdom. Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. (Matthew 7:7-8)

If you adhere to His steps, if you seek His nourishment, you walk in the Kingdom extended along from spiritual to physically, reaching into a portion of the Kingdom while you are moving toward the fulness of that kingdom.

Grateful

For you see, as I cannot, what lies ahead along each path.

Meditation Thought: “Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;” (Psalm 95:2)

“Thank you” definition: You helped me. I appreciate your effort and your willingness to care about me and to acknowledge my needs, and to help me in fulfilling those needs. Our relationship is enhanced and intensified because of this involvement. This exchange has made a difference in some way in the direction we are going, and therefore is important to us and to those whom we influence.

Suggested prayer: Dear Lord, so far above and beyond me in scope – but so approachable and understanding as we meet: thank you, thank you, for all creation, for my creation, and for your provisions. Help me to yield to You in grace when I see that I am not following your path chosen for me. For you see, as I cannot, what lies ahead along each path. Intensify Your Word throughout every area in my life, making it permeate my mind, my will, my intentions, my emotions and my actions, that the beauty of Your love, mercy and power might be released in me and through me ever more effectively, in the realm of the spirit, in the realm of the world, in the realm of the Kingdom which contains these two realms. Help me to be not only a ‘good’ steward, but an enlightened, perceptive, effective steward who, through every thought, every word and every deed, reflects Your will and Your goodness and the Love with which You rule.

Guide me Father, that I may open my mind and my heart to receive Your truth and wisdom, and to reflect them in every possible way by obedience to Your will.

Amen.

Always Victory

…transcending time, transcending space, conquering the armies of evil, and banishing them to the furthermost corners.

Meditation Thought: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

“Be consecrated to Me and be purified to be all I need you to be:
to one person you are confessor,
to another – nurse,
to another – faith,
to another – food,
to another – peace,
to another – maid,
to another – teacher,
to another – child,
to another – friend,
to another – spirit,
to another – priest,
to another – enlightenment,
to another – student.
Moment by moment, the Spirit transforms your mind, your body, your thoughts and your actions to be Me in the world, transcending time, transcending space, conquering the armies of evil, and banishing them to the furthermost corners.

Victory, victory – through obedience to the Father Creator – always victory.