God's Hand of Protection

Remember how life seemed to just coast along when we were youngsters? I’ve witnessed that in my grandsons for the last week – making the grade in class, making the varsity baseball team, making the animals happy, making their Nana happy with helping out, making the decision on which Saturday activity to do. Thankfully my boys don't have this trouble yet, but do you remember the boy or girl friend trouble that all encompassed our lives? But, then life raced along and we got older, got married and had children of our own. THEN, they became our number one focus when it came to their protection and safety, especially in this age that we are living in today.

There is nothing that causes us to be prayer warriors like having children. There was no more coasting along. Suddenly we were caretakers of little people -- all consuming loving and making sure of their well-being. My children are grown with children of their own -- and they are still at the top of my prayer petitions. So many unknowns, so many reasons to stay tight with God in keeping them secure in His love and care for them.

In raising my children and having some responsibility at times like these couple of weeks here in Austin with my youngest grandsons, I’ve always found encouragement from how Jesus boldly prayed for His followers. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed this prayer: “My prayer is not that You take them out of the world, but that You protect them from the evil one.” (John 17:15).

Notice Jesus didn’t pray for fame, wealth, safety or for a great escape for Himself or even that His disciples get a pass and go directly into heaven. Instead, He asked His Father to protect them from our enemy, Satan, the “evil one.” Right here in this world. We don’t have to look far – to recognize him and his evil tactics. Oh, I know those times. He is easily recognizable at what started to be a pleasant, loving and communicative family time and just one wrong word gets thrown out, and suddenly chaos breaks out and replaces the peace that was there before. “For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:16)

Oh how the enemy of our souls wants us to be at odds with each other. He wants us in fear and doubt. If he can plant those seeds in our minds, he can dissuade us from stepping out in faith and causing us to be fighters instead of lovers. Jesus knew we would need “protection,” because every time we say yes to God, we step a bit further into enemy territory. Yet when we take risks for God, He will protect and preserve us from the evil one.

Following God doesn’t always mean knowing each step, but knowing each step He is with us. And as we leave the concern to Him, we can watch in awe as He grants reassurance from all our doubts. Trusting God every step of the way gives us sweet assurance of seeing God’s hand of protection in miraculous ways.

What Do You Do When Life Presents an Upsetting Surprise?

I take my daily FB postings very seriously. Throughout the day I pay attention to people, places and things that could potentially be the inspiration for me. As I was driving home from Austin after two weeks away, I was thinking about my post for today. I was thinking that maybe I should write a finale to my “chasing gangster chickens” experiences or maybe it should be about the “need to recoup from the chicken coop”. The inspiration could have come from my drive home and the 45-minute traffic hold-up on I-35 North with the subject matter being about “patience”!

But, the inspiration came when a text message came in from a dear friend: “I am texting you because we need serious prayer warriors. We just got some very bad news about my brother. The doctor just told them he has a large mass in his colon and liver and it looks like there are other spots throughout his abdomen. We need a miracle touch from God and I know that I can count on you for some serious prayer. Thank you so much.”

I loved my friend’s resolve – she knew what to do – call in prayer partners and prayer warriors. I prayed and then I remembered a similar message that our family received years ago.

We had just received a telephone call with the diagnosis from my husband’s doctor: “You have Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma that has metastasized to a tumor that is impinging on your spinal cord. It’s a life or death matter. You must have immediate surgery or you could be paralyzed.” Ron, my husband, being an in-charge guy, and not moved by anxiety or concern, declined the offer for the surgery. He wanted to research what he’d been told, get a second opinion, seek counsel and take his time. But the doctor was insistent on aggressively moving forward. So what do you do when you don’t know what to do? The answer is: PRAY. We prayed for God’s wisdom, His strength, His guidance, and most of all, His peace.

At the same time, we were speaking words from God's Word: "Our God, our Healer. He is our Prince of Peace. By His stripes, we are healed. We trust in you, Father God. We will not be afraid.” Then, we sought counsel from our children via a family phone-call meeting. We prayed for discernment for the course of action we should take. Then, each of us expressed our confidence in God as the Great Physician. It was apparent that we shouldn’t wait as we had been instructed by the doctor. Ron said, “Okay, let’s do it! Call the doctor!” We did and within the next 48 hours, he had a successful surgery.

Over the next 7 months, when the questions came again, we repeated the same steps: Pray, speak God’s Word, seek Godly counsel, pray some more. We found that we were closer to God during this time of crisis because we were acutely aware of our desperate need for Him. And quite frankly, that’s a great place to be. In Him, we found the answers to our questions and peace in our hearts because we sensed His presence with us.

The answer to this question and many more: “What do you do when life gives you an upsetting surprise?” or “Where can I turn when there's no one else I can turn to?” or “Who can I lean on when there’s no one to lean on?” or “Where can I hide until the storms pass over?”….. The answer to all of these questions is found in ONE SIMPLE TRUTH. We go to Him who is our solid rock, our refuge, our shelter, our friend. That’s WHO, WHAT, WHEN and WHERE to ALL questions we have for our today and our tomorrows. “God is our VERY PRESENT HELP in trouble and in time of need.” Psalm 46:1.

Prayer Should Be As Natural As Breathing

Day 142 of Photo Inspirations -- Prayer Should Be As Natural As Breathing
Seems God has had me on a Prayer Enlightenment Journey……everywhere I turn lately.  You know the experience:  you buy a white car and suddenly everywhere you turn, there’s another white car.  That’s the way it’s been for me with the subject of prayer.  I’m getting the message – loud and clear. Apparently, God is wanting me to pay attention to my communications with Him.

I’ll be honest with you, I have never aspired to be a “prayer warrior”, though I know the merits of being one.  My Mom was one.  Her prayer time was 4 am every morning.  Seriously!  She prayed fervently for her children and grandchildren – and we were the recipients of her answered prayers. When she passed away, my siblings felt duty-bound to pass that assignment to me, as though it was a part of her Last Will and Testament.  Like a boomerang, I sent that assignment back to them.  I didn’t want, or desire, 4 am prayer duty.

At this season of my life, everywhere I turn, I’m hearing messages on prayers, reading books on prayer, I’m on a Prayer Chain, AND now, I’m posturing myself to be a Woman of Prayer like never before…..because, NOW, I sincerely want to be.  I’m no longer running from what seems to be God’s call to me.

Don’t misunderstand me.  I’ve always prayed and spent time in prayer, but not with as much focus as I have right now.  I’m on purpose.  And prayer has become the means God has used to get my attention and He’s using it to give me perspective, increased faith and hope – with a bonus prize of even more resolve that “He’s got everything under control, so why should I worry or fret about ANYTHING?”

I heard Kenneth Copeland say “I don’t pray for more than 15 minutes at a time, but I don’t go 15 minutes without praying!”  The Apostle Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing”!  It obviously doesn’t mean we are praying with heads bowed and eyes closed all the time, or non-stop talking.  But, Kenneth Copeland’s comments are true if we live in an attitude of God-consciousness  that we carry with us all the time. Prayer becomes a way-of-life when we realize that every waking moment is to be lived in an awareness that God is with us and that He is actively involved and engaged in our thoughts and actions. Why shouldn't we be acknowledging Him all the time?

I sincerely believe God wants me to pass along the little nuggets He gives to me, and this nugget is about prayer.  Our prayer life should be like breathing.  We don’t have to think to breathe.  It’s just what we do.  When we try to hold our breath, it doesn’t last for long, because breathing is what we do……naturally.  And, in the same way, God IS the air we breathe.  It’s His holy presence living in us, and when we hold our spiritual breath – thinking that only brief moments with God will suffice, that we’ll find ourselves red-faced, fainting and becoming LIFE-less.  We NEED His presence with us 24/7 and He IS with us 24/7 -- why not eradicate the notion that we don’t have time to pray?  Praying IS as natural as breathing and carrying on conversation with God is as natural as chatting with a close friend.-