Powerful Prayer 3 - Rooted Deep in Love

One of my all time favorite prayers of Paul is from Ephesians 3.  In verses 14-21 you will find an incredibly powerful and deep prayer.  Since it is a longer excerpt, I am going to quote some of the verses here but give you a link to the whole passage to read on your own when you have some time to really meditate on it.

Ephesians 3:14-21 (AMP)

As usual, I find that there is very little that I can say to add value to these powerful words.  God's Word does not need my help accept to be a tool to spread it.

Here are a couple of questions I have been rolling around as I read and pray over this passage of scripture. 

How well do I understand Gods Love for me?

Am I wholly filled and flooded with God Himself?

Ephesians 3:17-19 (AMP)

   "May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts!  May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

   That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

   [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!"


That is not even half of this beautiful prayer.  Imagine the power of praying this for your family, yourself and your loved ones each day.  This is a prayer that you can pray over your church and your pastor; all those that you would love to see grow closer to God! 

And we can know that He will here and answer this prayer!  Verse 20 tells us that He is "able to do super abundantly, far over and above all that we ask or think"  So we can pray often, pray big and with complete faith!

Ephesians 3:21 (AMP)

"To Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.  Amen (so be it)."

May your day be full of love, joy, peace and hope!

Jamie


Today I am linking up with the following beautiful blogs!

 

Praise God Moments and Powerful Prayer

My daughter is not feeling well this week and I am super behind.  I had big plans for my posts this week but that will wait.  In the meantime, I have decided to combine my Powerful Prayer from Tuesdays and Praise God Moments from Thursday.  Since Praise and Prayer go hand in hand I thought this would work out nicely!

Philippians 4:5-7 (NIV*)

"Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

How powerful is that, right?

No worries!  Relax! God is near. Just ask Him, thank Him, present your requests to Him and the peace of God will guard your heart and mind!

I do not know anyone that could not use more of the peace of God in heart or mind.  I know I need it, not just daily, but continually.


Psalm 30:11-12 (NIV*)


"You turned my wailing into dancing;
      you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. 
     Lord my God, I will praise you forever."


I have found that the times that I least feel like dancing and singing to the Lord are the exact times I need to be doing it.  In most instances I do not start out with pep in my step or volume in my voice.  However, I will invariably end with both, along with a joy and peace in my soul that cannot be explained.

I have a challenge for all of my beautiful readers!  The next time you have no desire to thank God, praise God or sing and dance to God - do it.  Then come back here and tell us about it!  Share that peace and joy and give the glory to God!  :)


To God be all the Glory and Honor!  AMEN!




This week I am linking up with:



*THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Praise God Moments

O GIVE thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

Psalm 107:1 (amp)

Thank you, Father, for

We are delivered from the control and dominion of darkness!

We are transferred into the Kingdom of the Son of Your love!

We are redeemed - forgiven of our sins, through the blood of Jesus Christ!

Colossians 1:13-14 (amp)

[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins

Let the redeemed of the Lord Say So!

Psalm 107:2a (amp)

This is the first of what I pray will be many posts devoted to praising our awsome God!  I plan to do this every Thursday and would love for you to join me!  I would be honored if you would share with me what you are praising God for this week!

I am starting my Thankful List this week and will continue it with the Praise God post each week!

(in no particular order!)

1. The smell of spring

2. The sound of my daughter laughing

3. Fresh Mercy every morning

4. Flowers

5. Deliverance from smoking

6. Clean running water 

7. My husband and best friend

Linking with:

 

How God listens and moves

On this special day, I prayed a prayer on the way to our new church.  It is a long drive but worth every second we spend in our new church home. 

I struggled finding our new church after the awesome one we left.  However, in Gods time... we found the new home He had for us. 

This prayer I prayed was very specific and heartfelt. For revelation regarding the authority that Jesus died to give us.  The authority that His victory gives us.  The authority we have over the enemy through our King of Kings. 

After the awesome worship service and before the amazing childrens program, our new pastor spoke of the very thing I prayed for.  This beautiful, humble, sweet man truly is in tune with the Holy Spirit.  I am so blessed.  We are all so blessed.  I cannot tell you all he said today.  I could not give it justice.

What I can say, with confidence and gratitude, is that Jesus died for our sins.  And He rose from the grave, conquered it to give us victory and authority over the enemy.  Death, sin, sickness, disease, addiction, etc.  You don't need me to give it a name.  You already have the list. 

Now, all we need to grasp is that that list is ashes in the wind.  Jesus Christ is our King of Kings.  The Alpha and Omega.  The Beginning and The End.  Our Victorious Savior.  As the devil is under His feet, so he is under ours.  We have authority, now we just need to embrace that authority.

Take hold of the victory that Jesus gave each of us, put on your combat boots and show the devil who the boss is.  The devil and his minions have no authority in your life.  They are defeated already, all you have to do is remind them in the name of Jesus and they will flea faster than you can spell Victory!

Thank you, my sweet, loving and perfect Jesus.  I love you and I love all of yours.  I melt at the thought of Your Love!

I Am

Since news of our move I have been spending considerably less time on the computer, whether it be on the pc, netbook or phone.  And I have been loving it!  The last couple of months, I have rediscovered life without the internet.  To my readers - I cannot apologize.  I did not have anything to say that would improve your day.  God's word rules.

I will not lie.  I still use the internet, I still need my navigation, pay my bills, post to Facebook on occasion and check my feed on some days.  But I have put my main focus on the beautiful world around me; the family,  home and the fascinating wonders around me that God has so abundandtly blessed me with.  My cup over flows.  

I am continually grateful for the blessings God has given us.  I watch, in awe, the life that springs and grows in the view of our world.  Being in Florida so long, I had forgotten what Spring looks like.  Even when I lived up north I think I was so busy living my life that I did not pay attention to the complete wonder that was unfolding in front of me.

And then, I open my mouth.  Not with my words.

This beautiful weekend.  This weekend that reminds me of the incredible, intense, dumbfounding sacrifice that Jesus Christ poured out for us..... I am overwhelmed. 

Growing up, I did not understand what Easter was all about.  No one in my memory broke it down; explained it. 

Now I understand.  Call it revelation, eye opening, or heart breaking.  I now get it.  God loves me so much that He sacrificed something more than I could fathom.  He sacrificed His one and only son.  Himself.  He lived the same life I live.  He fought the same demons I fight.  He loved the same enemies I meet each day.  He survived the same pain I survived.  He is I Am.  He was I Am and He will always be I Am.

He died the death I deserve.

What He did that I did not and could not... He rose victorious. 

For me to have salvation. To have Peace, forever.  To have Joy, forever.  To live with Him, forever.  To Share, with everyone.

He Loves You!  He Loves You!  He Loves You!

God is no respecter of persons.  He loves all of us.  He loves us all equally and fully and completely and with all that He is.  And He is Everything.  He is Good.  He is Wonderful.  He is Powerful.  He is I Am.

Joyful Friday - Vol. 2 O Praise Him

Joyful Friday is here again!  Today I get to share an amazing blessing for our family that has filled us with joy and excitement! This is the one I mentioned earlier in the week in my Tune-In Tuesday post.

First I would like to give God all the glory and share a verse and a song to sing the praises of our Awesome God to!  So much joy can be had just in the act of praising God.

Psalm 63:4-5 NIV*
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

O Praise Him by David Crowder Band



I am going to share a little background so you can get an understanding of just how much this means to us.  And of the amazing work God has been doing in our lives.  5 years ago, my husband was a man that wanted to be so much more as a husband, father and provider.  However, after years of many let downs he had come to the conclusion that he would be a "grunt" for the rest of his life.  Then he found a man and a company that saw the same potential I saw in him.  They gave him a chance and he proved that what I had been telling him and trying to get him to believe of himself was true.  In the years since, he has progressed quickly in his field.  The same company went through many changes with the economy.  My husband has felt for a while that, even though he is so grateful for the opportunity they gave him, he is no longer supposed to be there.  The job hunt was going slow and we were starting to doubt the decision to make a change.

A couple of Sundays ago our Pastor spoke about clarifying your vision and being specific in prayer.  The next day he found a job that was a perfect fit for him and our family.  He laid it at God's feet that this was the one he wanted.  He came to me and told be that he had clarified his vision for his new job and that this was the one.  Thursday he got a call from them and this past Monday had another phone interview with 3 of the higher ups in the company.  They liked him so much that they flew him up to Tennessee "all expenses paid" to "meet him and give him a tour of the plant."  To some that may sound like a normal thing.  For us this is something that we would see on TV not in our real lives.  I was so overwhelmed with joy and gratitude that it took me about an hour to stop crying.  (yeah, I can be mushy and emotional at times)  :)

Today he is there, and I am here...waiting "patiently" for a call or text or anything from him.  I was planning on waiting until I got the definite answer to post this.  But I feel that just like in prayer, we give thanks and praise before the answer, in complete faith that He has heard and is faithful to answer.  So this is my joy, my song, my gratefulness, my faith and my heart singing praises to my Amazing, Loving and Faithful God!

We are moving to Tennessee!  I believe it and so it shall be!

What are you joyful for this week?  I would love to share your joy with you!



*THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Joyful Fridays Vol. 1

I am starting something new!  Joyful Fridays!  Every Friday I am going to post on Joy and how we can have more of it in our lives.  I would love to make this a Link Party or Blog Hop but I am not sure I have the following for that just yet.  If this is something you would be interested in, please let me know in comments or email!

This is one of my favorite songs by Casting Crowns off of their Until the Whole World Hears album and it going 'round and 'round in my head last night inspired me!



There are so many scriptures in the bible on Joy and Joyful that I am sure that this is something that God wants us to have lots of in our lives.  In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that he came so that we can have an abundant life and to enjoy it!  Each Friday I am going to give a verse on Joy and share a little of my own insight and how I apply it in my life.

Psalm 95:1-3

Amplified Bible (AMP)

    ¹O COME, let us sing to the Lord; 

         let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation!    
      ²Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
         let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!

    ³For the Lord is a great God, 
         and a great King above all gods. 

I would like to say that I am consistent each day but I am not.  That is something I am working on.  However, on the days that I make the time to spend time with God and to sing and make a joyful noise to Him, I can feel and see the difference.  He is our Rock, our King; the Alpha and Omega.  We live in a chaotic and ever changing world.  We can rejoice in the fact that our God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!

Maybe you aren't comfortable singing out loud.  Maybe you were not gifted with a singing voice.  Well, I fit both categories and am here to tell you that you should forget yourself and just try it.  Yes, some of us even have to step out in faith just to sing out loud!  Once I got over my own insecurities and reminded myself that this was not for me but for God; that it is not a contest but a way for me to bring joy and praise to my King; I let go and let loose!  It felt great!  Once we ask Jesus into our hearts, we are filled with Him, His Holy Spirit.  When I focus on praising and worshiping God with my less than lovely voice, Holy Spirit steps in and helps.  That is why He is here, to be our helper, counselor, comforter.  To step in and fill in where we are weak, broken, unable.

So turn on your favorite worship song or just click play above and SING, SING, SING!  Make a JOYFUL NOISE and start (or finish) your day with the peace and joy of the Lord!

I would love to hear from you.  What songs do you enjoy singing out?  What things bring you joy each day?

Daily Struggle

I have some days that I am just not on my game.  So far, this week as been full of them.  I tend to beat myself up for these days, telling myself that I am doing something wrong or not having enough faith.  Most times, when I can pull my head out of the funk I realize that I am putting words in Gods' mouth.  I have to continually remind myself that I have become the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ.  For someone that has been anything but righteous in life and is very aware of the bad choices made, this is a very hard concept to accept.  It is easy to say, write on an index card, memorize and repeat; but truly believing it, acting accordingly, not condemning myself at every turn, is another thing completely.  

2 Corinthians 5:21

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²¹For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [^[a]endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].

In comparison to many I know, I am a fairly young Christian.  It was only 4 years ago that I began to truly understand the truth, love, mercy and grace of our God.  I knew of Him, knew the bible pretty well, but I never knew Him.  I had prayed the "sinners prayer" in the past but was just going through the motions.  I really had no idea what I was saying or what it truly meant. Being so young in my faith, I wonder, how long before I start to find stability in my standing with Christ?  How long is it going to take me to get it through my head that He loves me and forgives me, sees me approved, acceptable, righteous?  Not through my eyes or my works, but through the blood and Resurrection of Jesus.  


See, I know these things, yet still I sit here feeling like a mess.  Then I am reminded of Philippians.  

Philippians 4:6-7

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁶Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (^[a]definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
    ⁷And God's peace [shall be yours, that ^[b]tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall^[c]garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


So now, I will run into His arms and remember that the riches of His love will always be enough.  Today I will sing and dance to my Lord.  Starting with Forever Reign that I posted about yesterday.  Loud and often.  The best time to sing and dance to God is the time that you feel the least like doing it.

Psalm 149:3-4

Amplified Bible (AMP)

³Let them praise His name in chorus and choir and with the [single or group] dance; let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre!
    ⁴For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation and adorn the wretched with victory.


Just typing this out and reading over these verses has already started to mend my soul.  It is going to be a good day after all. 


I would love to hear your thoughts.  Do you struggle with these feelings?  If so, how do you deal with them?  Did this post and these scriptures help you?  

Tune-In Tuesday: Forever Reign by One Sonic Society

I am excited to share a worship song that is always timely for me.  Some songs speak to me in different seasons.  This is a song that speaks to me and brings me to my knees every time I hear it.   In many ways it is hard for me to express just how much this song speaks to and for me.  I truly am running into His arms, so grateful for His love, peace, light and mercy!   








I know this one can be found on the Wow Worship (Purple) along with many more beautiful worship songs!  What a beautiful way to worship our Awesome God!


The beginning of this song really breaks it down.  He is Good.  He is Love.  He is Light.  He is our Hope.  He is our Peace.  And He is all of those things, especially when we are not.  All we have to do is run into His arms!




"You are good, You are good
And there's nothing good in me

You are love, You are love
On display for all to see

You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in

You are hope, You are hope
You've covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling"

As I sit here and type this I sing out 

"My heart will sing no other name! Jesus! Jesus!"

Would you like to share your favorite worship tune?  Check out Tune-In Tuesday and link up!  I am!

Scrubbing With A Smile?

It's no secret - I really don't like house cleaning.  I mean, I really dislike it.  I am sure to some degree it's a result of cleaning being used as punishment when I was a kid.  My sister and I spent our summers with our Dad and his wife. With my Dad at work all day, she used her own methods of discipline.  To give you some perspective of the extent of the absurdity of this form of discipline I will share that once his wife made my sister scrub the kitchen floor with a toothbrush.  To this day I would prefer to have a house that does not have baseboards.  I will dread cleaning the seemingly miles of little cracks and lines for the rest of my life.

But this post is not about her or child discipline techniques.  It's about cleaning and my battle with it.  This month marks one full year of me being a stay at home mom.  And after a whole year, I still get all bent out of shape when it's time to scrub a toilet or vacuum the stairs.  I mean, who wants a back ache for the rest of the week just to have fluffy stairs?  And considering what we put in a toilet, does it really need to sparkle?  Yeah, I know, cleanliness is next to Godliness.  So do I keep murmuring and complaining like a child or do I get over it and start cleaning with a smile?

I have decided to go with option "B."  A while ago a friend of mine told me that she always dreaded paying bills.  It would get her all wound up and cranky.  Then one day she just stopped and thanked God that she could pay her bills.  Not only did the act of paying her bills become much less painful but their finances began to improve and have continued to do so since then.  I put that practice into place for my bills and I can say, it really works!  It's amazing that just the act of being grateful can change and improve so much.  It had never really occurred to me to put this into practice into other areas of my life until now!

Starting this week I have decided to apply that to everything I complain and murmur about.  If the bathrooms are taunting me I am going to thank God for indoor plumbing!  I mean really, what would life be like without it?!   Vacuuming? Praise and thanks, Father for a home to vacuum and for a working vacuum!  Piles of laundry growing all over - I am so grateful to not have to scrub my hubby's britches down at the creek with some rocks!

Just writing this is making me feel better.  I think I might even vacuum the stairs this week. Oh, and clean the refrigerator that I am so thankful to have!  (To be honest, probably still not going to scrub the baseboards.) 

This may turn out to be a positive and productive week!  My patient husband may end up asking what I have done with his real wife.