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Prayer topics
We Need A Leader Who...
Mercy and Judgment... Please Get Our Attention, Lord!
Overwhelmed By Your Presence
...And Thoughts on Submission, Prayer, obedience

Details of the Journey...Thank You, Lord!

We Need A Leader Who...
Date: October 9, 2006

What we need, I believe, is a leader who has as his highest priority to be a humble and obedient servant-shepherd before his Father God, loving his Lord Jesus Christ with all his heart, and seeking always to be under the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit. We need a leader whose sole purpose is to love, worship, and serve God alone, and who will commit to teach God's people to do the same, in the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of love, in faith and obedience and holiness and servant-hood, grounded firmly in the Word of God and in prayer without ceasing. Then only can God use His people as He longs to do, doing His work through them, to fulfill His great commission to bring all mankind through the preaching of the gospel into saving relationship with Him, to build and purify the church to take its place in His great and eternal and holy Kingdom, and to always bring glory and honour to Himself alone. And if that means repenting of our past, forgiving each other, casting away "our vision", our agenda, our ideas and goals, our pursuit of personal happiness and personal preferences, and of numbers, and land, and particular programs, and organizational structures, and anything else we have pursued (even if our motives were originally pure, but in some way we ended up putting those goals ahead of God), so be it! For only then can God really do His work, only then will we be able to find our way - His way - and only then can we truly be His people.

(Otherwise, perhaps we should just shut our doors now).

The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.

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Mercy and Judgement...Please Get Our Attention, Lord!
Date: October 23, 2006

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the beautiful fall weather and the incredible yellow and red autumn leaves. Thank You for the nice trip to the coast, and keeping the car working well, and the good visit with my kids (and that they want to find a good church... oh, dear Lord, please provide Your choice of a church for them and lead them clearly! Thank You, Lord!) Thank You for Your word through the prophets in the Bible. Lord, it seems like that is the last part of Your Word that we read. I guess our hearts are as hard as the Israelites! And we don't want to hear the message of judgment and wrath and Your demand - nay, Your loving entreaties - for obedience and holiness and love and worship of You! And we don't want to truly repent either and change our ways. We too, choose instead to turn our shoulder, and plug our ears, that we would not hear and be smitten in our hearts and respond to You.

And it seems that we too choose not to believe that judgment will ever fall - and when it does we cannot believe that You will not respond to our cries for help. We are so "big" on Your love and mercy - and they are great... greater than we can ever imagine - but we totally ignore Your holiness and necessary judgment, thinking that You would never really do that... or sometimes we just get so caught up in doing what we want that we just don't think about or pay any attention to You at all. Oh dear God, yes, please forgive us - but more so, please get our attention! no matter what it takes. Suffering and experiencing judgment now, if it results in us truly turning to You, is far more preferable than being eternally judged to separation forever from You.

......

My tummy is hurting, and I'm tired and just want to go back to sleep... just want to avoid the world today, I guess. Oh dear God, please forgive me for not drawing close to You and not depending on You and not obeying You instantly like I should. Please just take over all my life and do Your will!!!! I am tired. Please fill me with Your Spirit! Please renew my strength - actually, please fill me with Your strength - help me to "mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint..."

Thank You, Lord!

Please help me wait upon You!!! Amen!

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Overwhelmed By Your Presence
...And Thoughts on Submission, Prayer, Obedience

Date: October 26, 2006

On Tuesday afternoon we had our women's afternoon Bible Study. Before the first one, last week, ____ had phoned and said not to worry about numbers, but to remember that if just one or two turn up, You are there.... and I am being obedient to Your call on my life! And only 2 did turn up, besides me, and we had such a blessed, deep time in Your Word. Oh, Lord, it is awesome to spend 1 1/2 hours realy digging into Your Word - and then 1/2 hour or more in prayer (with some sharing and lots of real fellowship, all mingled in!). thank You, Lord!

This week, I just now realized, the attendance doubled! And oh, it was so great again. We just dug deep into Your Word, and I was once again overwhelmed by Your vastness, Your Sovereignty, Your authority, Your will - and Your purposes and headship structures You have created for our good and for Your glory! It is so safe and comforting - and exciting! - to be in Your will! Oh Lord, please bring this understanding to all Your people!!

And then we prayed! And such prayer! ___ asked if we were willing to pray and anoint with oil 2 of the women who have been having health and family and other struggles. And I just felt so glad! Your Word came to my mind: "Anoint with oil and the prayer of faith will heal the sick." ___ led in this prayer ministry and it was so awesome.

I have felt so long that in our church - and among Christians here, generally, to a large extent, we have quenched - and even directly disobeyed - Your Spirit and Your Word, by not being obedient to all Your Word clearly teaches. There has been, I believe, a "fear" of the "extremes" of "charismatic practices"... and so we have not anointed with oil, not expected healing (though we do pray for it in a sort of hopeful way) - and certainly we hav not acccepted and encouraged the use of "charismatic" gifts. Perhaps in our bid to "be in control" in services etc., we have actually tried to control You, rather than simply trying to stay within Your will and Word. (Hmmm... I wonder what 1 Corinthians 15:40 really means? Everytime I hear that verse or think of it, I hear the voice of that brother shouting out "Pastor, take control!" when one of the sisters wanted to pray for the eyes of an old grandmother [in another church I attended long ago]). Verse 33 says, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace..." Godly peace does not come from human control but from continual, growing obedience to and trust in, the Spirit of God! Isn't that right?

So how does that connect to submission to the authority pattern that God has created, when those in authority are in "control mode"? Prayer for them, of course! Fasting and praying for our leaders, and loving them, and geing in gentle, loving, obedient submision in all areas that do not contravene the Word of God, and encouraging them, and doing kind things for them, and supporting them in all things they do that are positive and good. And giving Godly advice and correction - speaking the truth in love by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit! - according to the methods provided in Scripture (which may - Lord? - mean not giving it directly... since I am a woman... but taking one's concerns to other leaders - perhaps my husband, or? - who can speak to the leader as peers, following the Word and instruction and purposes and plans of God! And how else to do that but to truly learn Your Word!!!

Hosea 4:6 says "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee that thou shalt be no priest to me; seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." I really, really honed in on that need for Godly knowledge - knowledge of God and about Him - knowing Him, getting deep into His Word and deep into relationship with Him through His Spirit, along with His Word, His people, etc. That goes along with Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction (s/a 1:28-29, 2:3-5 and 2:6 "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" - what a great chapter!). And then there is Colossians 1:9-10 and through to 23 and so on and on! "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God... If ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven.... Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom: that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in my mightily."

Alright, where was I? Oh yes... Bible study... prayer... anointing with oil... and when we did that and were obedient to God - what prayer! People felt warmth and "electricity/tingling going through their hands" as they prayed, and those being prayed for felt warmth spread through their bodies and into the places of pain. some prayed quietly in tongues. Big hugs all around. Words of knowledge and wisdom! I felt very strongly led to pray for total healing of ___'s stomach - and oh, I was nervous, realizing I really was afraid to pray out loud for that "in case it didn't happen"... but I did pray it aloud, though still with trembling and some strong "what if's" in y mind... but my heart (God's Spirit, I totally believe, speaking to my spirit) said "Do this," so I did - in obedience (even if my trust was small or non-existent. And yet there must have been a "mustard seed" of faith, bcause I was able - by the Spirit of God: it was not in my self to do it - to be obedient!). Now I'm just waiting for the report of healing!

Thank You, Lord, for Your Words to me, Your little child, by the mouth of your faithful servant, _____. I don't even remember exactly what was said, but it brought me joy and peace and courage to step out more and more in obedience to You - and to follow You and know You with all my being! Thank You, Lord! Please help me - every moment - to continue in You! Please help me - every moment - to continue in You! Wow! Blessings! What a Mighty God we serve! :-)

Amen!
Time for my daily reading... and prayer! amen!

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Details of the Journey...Thank You, Lord!
Date: October 27, 2006

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for all the stuff I got done yesterday. Please help me to finish up all You would have for me today. Please help me to put my very best in it, and totally trust You and submit to You, and walk in Your presence and in the power and guidance of Your Holy Spirit in My life... for in no other way can I honour You and present my life to You as a servant and a sacrifice worthy of You, the Almighty King of kings and Lord of lords (Malachi 1).

Thank You for this message to me from Your Word this morning! Help me to remember that all good thoughts and knowledge and ideas are from You, and please help me to become and stay totally humble before You, and always give You all the glory in all things! Amen!

Lord, You know that today I am to lead in chapel. I have prepared what I believe (think?) is from You. Lord, if it isn't, please just change it, and if it is, help me to do the best I can, and to make it all about You, and all for Your glory!

Please heal this cold so I don't lose my voice. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

October 29, 2006

Thank You for the consideration of having to move our Tuesday afternoon Bible study to another slot, if I were to take that job. It was the "deciding factor," the kind of final, clearly "closed door." You know there were many other considerations - but all of them together - including this final one - came down to the fact that You have called me to certain things (the Titus 2:3-5 ministry which is just getting started, the women's Bible study teaching which is clearly meant to be at that Tuesday time I believe, my desire to attend the Friday night street meetings, my French classes and my own personal learning which is suddenly growing "expoentially" without my even trying just because of my preps and teaching, the chance the visit mom - and others? - more often, Your call to me to pray more and spend more time with You, getting to really know You, the things that are happening with our children -- and so on and on...). I do believe You are preparing me (us) for something really important. We don't really need the extra cash; we do need to be forced to live more simply.

(Lord, in trying to be more submissive, You know that in backing away from "controlling" the finances, I have actually ended up "joining" my family in the way they like to spend money - lots of eating out, snacks, window shopping with lots of little impulse buying, getting things for "me"... and to be honest, I like the "feeling" of those things, but am kind of afraid that if it goes on much longer, I'll get "hooked." What about that? In trying to be submissive, and get out of the way so You can do Your work, am I doing the right or wrong things? Please give me wisdom in this area! Thank You!

About the French - Thank You for the small amount of time with ____ early in the summer, and for the French computer program I got halfway through the summer (and the easy, fun one I completed), and for the challenge of the French courses this fall! I feel I have "broken through" a mental block, and have so much more self-confidence to go ahead with it, to take the learning opportunities that come, without fear... and I am just learning so much and it is such an adventure! I don't where it is all leading, but I am sure it is in Your will and doing, and that You have Your own great plan and purpose for me! (I keep wondering about South America! There are former French colonies there... but anywhere, anything, is just fine with me!).

Thank You for Your help on Friday with the chapel. It was such a busy day. 4 classes then chapel with no breaks, and a cold to top it off, but the cold didn't bother me at all during chapel (thank You!) and the students were amazingly quiet and focused during the reading time, and they all participated well in the French songs and the Lord's prayer. I don't know people felt about it... but I leave the "outcome" to You. I do want all I do to be up to You, including the "outcome" being up to You. I admit I still want "immediate feedback" - and yes, I want it to be good! - about things I do, say, write, etc. Please help me to just let that go, because it shows that there is still too much of "me" wrapped up in it, and my motives are too self-centered. Please forgive me for that Lord, and help me to truly focus on making sure that everything is about You!

Thank You for the emails and stuff about Altzheimers. You just keep teaching me more and more about how to love, and ways to care for others - especially those that I have "avoided" perhaps without even really consciously meaning to.

I was just reflecting as I laid there in the dark this morning, that this past summer and fall has been a time when You have helped me lay aside "fears" I didn't even necessarily recognize I had, but which are definite blocks to serving You. Of course there was the fear of using French, which ___ and my teaching courses this year have really helped me get past. Then there was the fear of spending a lot of time with really sick, old people, and the fear of watching people die, and even the fear of dead bodies - all of which I was forced to face up to and work through during dad's final illness and death. And now You are helping me overcome my fear of spending time with and loving old people, or even any people, who are "different" - especially in terms of their not being "intellectually able."

This is one thing I fear - or at least, have feared, because You are really helping me get past it - is the fear of becoming like that myself! Of course, I still don't "want" that to happen, but I am beginning to see every more clearly how much value all people have, even those whose "faculties" are "gone." Thank You so much for the privilege of being near my mom in these days (and for the kindness of my aunts in being my "substitute moms"), and oh, please help me to really love mom - and the other old folks too, if it be Your will!

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