The power of prayer should not be underestimated. James 5:16-18 declares, "…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” God most definitely listens to prayers, answers prayers, and moves in response to prayers. It is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the power resides in the God who is being prayed to. No matter the person praying, the passion behind the prayer, or the purpose of the prayer - God answers prayers that are in agreement with His will. His answers are not always yes, but are always in our best interest. When we pray passionately and purposefully, according to God's will, God responds powerfully!
We cannot access powerful prayer by using "magic formulas." Our prayers being answered is not based on the eloquence of our prayers. We don't have to use certain words or phrases to get God to answer our prayers. Prayer is communicating with God. God's help through the power of prayer is available for all kinds of requests and issues. Speak to God using your own words.
The Word of God is full of accounts describing the power of prayer in various situations. The power of prayer has overcome enemies (Psalm 6:9-10), conquered death (2 Kings 4:3-36), brought healing (James 5:14-15), and defeated demons (Mark 9:29). God, through prayer, opens eyes, changes hearts, heals wounds, and grants wisdom (James 1:5). The power of prayer should never be underestimated because it draws on the glory and might of the infinitely powerful God of the universe!
Recently, I witnessed the power of prayer in my life. When the only option available to me was separation and divorce, I sought the counsel and prayers of my pastors, members of the church leadership, friends, and colleagues to pray for me and my family. Not only did God hear those prayers, He answered them! I discovered that when my prayers lined up with His plans for me I started seeing the miracles I mentioned in my previous blog. I am grateful for the prayers from many people (as far away as Texas and Minnesota) interceding on my behalf. I know that ALL things are possible in God! And nothing is possible without prayer!
I still pray for God's miracle of healing... I pray for His will and I pray for His peace and I pray for His understanding. My own understanding may not come till I stand face to face with Him one day. It would make it easier now...but there are some things I won't know until I stand face to face with Him.
There are times when I get angry and I question Him. Why? Why now? Why this? Why not my time? But then I feel a gentle nudge and am reminded that nothing is too big for Him. There is nothing that He cannot do. I must trust in that and have faith that I am in His arms every single day. I couldn't face each day if He wasn't there. People keep telling me I’m strong but I know my strength only comes from Him.
Thank you ALL for your continued prayers and encouragement!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
My Miracles
Marriage demands the giving of oneself to the other, and there can be no mutual benefit without mutual giving. A part of one's identity is surrendered for the larger identity. Marry to share the good and endure the bad with the one who love. Marriage must involve three persons: God, the husband, and the wife. Enter the marriage relationship fully realizing the lifelong commitment. For marriage to be the joyous relationship that God intended, the husband and wife must never take one another for granted. We must allow the light of love to endure within hearts that are open to a loving Father and His Son. Thoughtfulness, gratitude, and concern for one another must be ever present in a marriage.
God is a God of miracles. The last time I wrote, my marriage was on the verge of divorce and I didn’t know how to “fix” it. I prayed for a miracle and witnessed more than one miracle and found my God again. He restored my marriage and my family. He celebrated our 3rd anniversary with us last night and He will be there as we celebrate our last.
I started with me; restoring my one-on-one relationship between me and the Lord Jesus Christ. As a born-again believer, the success of my relationship with others is in direct correlation with the quality of my personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. When I am out of fellowship with the Lord due to my sin or mental attitudes that are contrary to divine viewpoint, I find that I am out of sorts with myself, first, and that spills over to my relationships with my husband and children. Therefore, restoring my relationship and fellowship with the Lord through agreeing with His viewpoint and resting in the forgiveness that is mine in Christ Jesus was the place I started at.
For the marriage relationship, the Bible has given me a very clear model that is opposite to the world's viewpoint. To restore a marriage relationship once forgiveness has been given and received, applying God's model will begin to bring the two separate parties into a God-honoring union. This requires a choice on the part of both parties.
God ordained the first marriage in the Garden of Eden between Adam and Eve as He ordained my marriage to Curt. When sin entered because of their disobedience, that perfect union was destroyed just as I let sin almost destroy my marriage and family. There is the human viewpoint that "all are equal." In a way, that is true. We all have equal access to salvation in Christ Jesus but to say that all in the world are equal in human opportunity, abilities or even power is naïve. God had a purpose for placing wives under the authority of their husbands. Because of sin, that rule has been both abused and chaffed under, and the result has brought chaos to the home and family which was what I did to my family by not walking with Him.
God's marriage model works, but it takes commitment on the part of both parties to create a relationship with a balance of each individual's obedience to God and walking in fellowship with the Lord. It does not happen overnight. And, usually, if a marriage relationship has broken down, there are issues that need to be forgiven and put behind in order to move forward, and, again, that takes a choice and a commitment. Walking in forgiveness and fellowship was a wonderful place to start to put the pieces back together again.
Curt, I, and the kids have a long ways to go yet. Nothing is “fixed” overnight. I know that I am a work in progress and will need daily fellowship with God to keep me on the right path. It won’t be easy, but I know He’s with me and the journey is worth it because my marriage and my life is the daily choice I make. I’ve witnessed Him work many miracles in my life and trust that only in Him can my marriage and family be restored.
I found the following the following practical rules to apply to my life on line:
~ Never both be angry at once.
~ Never talk at one another.
~ Never yell at one another, unless the house is on fire.
~ Let each one strive to yield more often to do the wishes of the other.
~ Let self-denial be the daily aim and practice of each.
~ Never taunt with a past mistake.
~ Neglect the whole world rather than one another.
~ Never make a remark at the expense of one another.
~ Never part for a day without kind words to think of during absence.
~ Never meet without a loving welcome.
~ Never let the sun go down on your wrath.
~ Never forget that marriage is ordained of God, and that His blessings alone can make it what it ought to be.
God is a God of miracles. The last time I wrote, my marriage was on the verge of divorce and I didn’t know how to “fix” it. I prayed for a miracle and witnessed more than one miracle and found my God again. He restored my marriage and my family. He celebrated our 3rd anniversary with us last night and He will be there as we celebrate our last.
I started with me; restoring my one-on-one relationship between me and the Lord Jesus Christ. As a born-again believer, the success of my relationship with others is in direct correlation with the quality of my personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. When I am out of fellowship with the Lord due to my sin or mental attitudes that are contrary to divine viewpoint, I find that I am out of sorts with myself, first, and that spills over to my relationships with my husband and children. Therefore, restoring my relationship and fellowship with the Lord through agreeing with His viewpoint and resting in the forgiveness that is mine in Christ Jesus was the place I started at.
For the marriage relationship, the Bible has given me a very clear model that is opposite to the world's viewpoint. To restore a marriage relationship once forgiveness has been given and received, applying God's model will begin to bring the two separate parties into a God-honoring union. This requires a choice on the part of both parties.
God ordained the first marriage in the Garden of Eden between Adam and Eve as He ordained my marriage to Curt. When sin entered because of their disobedience, that perfect union was destroyed just as I let sin almost destroy my marriage and family. There is the human viewpoint that "all are equal." In a way, that is true. We all have equal access to salvation in Christ Jesus but to say that all in the world are equal in human opportunity, abilities or even power is naïve. God had a purpose for placing wives under the authority of their husbands. Because of sin, that rule has been both abused and chaffed under, and the result has brought chaos to the home and family which was what I did to my family by not walking with Him.
God's marriage model works, but it takes commitment on the part of both parties to create a relationship with a balance of each individual's obedience to God and walking in fellowship with the Lord. It does not happen overnight. And, usually, if a marriage relationship has broken down, there are issues that need to be forgiven and put behind in order to move forward, and, again, that takes a choice and a commitment. Walking in forgiveness and fellowship was a wonderful place to start to put the pieces back together again.
Curt, I, and the kids have a long ways to go yet. Nothing is “fixed” overnight. I know that I am a work in progress and will need daily fellowship with God to keep me on the right path. It won’t be easy, but I know He’s with me and the journey is worth it because my marriage and my life is the daily choice I make. I’ve witnessed Him work many miracles in my life and trust that only in Him can my marriage and family be restored.
I found the following the following practical rules to apply to my life on line:
~ Never both be angry at once.
~ Never talk at one another.
~ Never yell at one another, unless the house is on fire.
~ Let each one strive to yield more often to do the wishes of the other.
~ Let self-denial be the daily aim and practice of each.
~ Never taunt with a past mistake.
~ Neglect the whole world rather than one another.
~ Never make a remark at the expense of one another.
~ Never part for a day without kind words to think of during absence.
~ Never meet without a loving welcome.
~ Never let the sun go down on your wrath.
~ Never forget that marriage is ordained of God, and that His blessings alone can make it what it ought to be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)