The power of Jesus is working through you

In Luke chapter 7, Jesus and his disciples left Capernaum where He healed the centurion’s servant and entered the city of Nain.

By now, not only Jesus and his disciples were traveling with him, but also a large crowd.  Upon arriving at Nain, He sees a funeral procession. The word says it was a widow’s son. In those times, this woman means of support was her husband, and if widowed, her son would provide for her.  So not only did she lose her son but also her sustenance. I cannot imagine her grief, as many things probably went through her mind. One of those could be she would need to resort to begging. Not a pretty picture.

Image by Ingeborg Gärtner-Grein from Pixabay

When Jesus saw the widow, He had compassion on her and told her not to weep, and touched the open coffin and commanded the young man to rise.

When Jesus touched the coffin, it was a ceremonially defiling act. But it’s defilement did not taint Him; rather, His power immediately dispelled the presence of all death and defilement.

I noticed Jesus was not asked to raise this young man, He did so on his own initiative.  When we come across situations that we can be of service, do we watch or act?

Just a few days ago, I needed to ask for forgiveness for not fulfilling my role as a leader, for not acting and speaking up upon situations that needed to be corrected.  When I did that, I felt fear leave and a new boldness come upon me.

Jesus could have just walked away, but that was not in his nature, neither should it be ours.  We are called to serve, help, speak out, correct, exhort and extend His kingdom.

Did you know we have the power to raise the dead? This is something I am believing for, and I choose to believe this will happen in my lifetime.

What we touch will not contaminate us because of the power of Jesus working through us

Did you know Nain means beauty? The people saw the beauty of life being restored to this young man, and to his mother.

When God touches one area of our life, it also affects other areas for good.

Believe in the power of Jesus working through you, and you will be filled with compassion, gifts, anointings and the defiled things of this world will not contaminate you.

Be blessed.

 

Scripture reading: Luke  7:11-17

It´s time to change your focus

We have all seen children or adults in wheelchairs, whether they are there since birth or from an accident we don´t know.  One thing we do know, their legs are not working. 

Sometimes the legs can be thin, no muscle mass and they are atrophied.

Image by Wolfgang van de Rydt from Pixabay

Now imagine the beggar at the gate beautiful.  Lame since birth, his only way to make a living was by begging at the entrance of the temple. This man had never ever stood on his feet.

When Peter and John are about to go into the Temple for their prayer time, they see this beggar at the gate and Peter says,  “Look at us.”

This was not to draw attention to themselves, but they needed the full attention of this beggar for the miracle Jesus was about to perform.

There have been times in my life where I needed to stop and pay attention, as I can get easily distracted.

Peters next words are all too familiar to us.  “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

How could he rise up, he is lame?  The word says, but then he was lifted up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. He received his strength as he rose. He needed to put some action into his healing.

I have found out in order to receive what I am believing for, I need to act upon it in faith.

In summary:

• Fix our eyes on Jesus, don´t be distracted. This beggar asked for money, instead received a new pair of legs. We never know how God will surprise us.
• The man sat at the same place, every day taken there by some family member. Perhaps its time to change your focus from asking to receiving in faith.
• When we can´t stand on our own, reach out for that helping hand with gratitude and your strength will return to you.

Bible reading Acts 3:1-9

 

His promises are yes and amen

Ephesians 1:17-18   that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Recently I have been going through a time of waiting upon the Lord. Waiting for His promises, praying, believing, declaring, and fasting.

Nothing.

There are times where the thought goes through my mind that these words spoken over us are just not going to pass, so I better do something.

I think Abraham had the same thought, and made a mess of things.

After my pity party, I went back to what I do best, prayer and journal. I share this with you in case anyone reading is going through a time of waiting.

Where there is hope, your eyes are enlightened and will see the glory of my inheritance.

You see me and have held on to the promise I have given you. Your hope does not fade away, neither do I. My promises are yes and amen, and my word will not fall to the ground, but it will bear fruit and flourish.

I had to get back to what lies ahead of me, get back to the vision, the promises, and that way I will not perish.

Get back to what was promised you, believe it and see it. Don´t let it die, fight for it, and you will receive your reward.

Be blessed.

Powerful keys to unlock your destiny

Sometime back I received a prophetic word which stated the many things I have prayed for will come to pass, but in order to receive them, I would need to use my keys.

The word was specific as to the things I had been praying for, and it was not a generic God knows the desires of your heart word.

Image by Mabel Amber, still incognito… from Pixabay

This encouraged me greatly, and I thanked the Lord in my prayers that what I was sensing in the spirit was right.

I tucked the word away and forgot about it.  A few days ago I kept hearing the still small voice of the Lord saying, use your keys, and I was reminded of this word. 

I dug it up, re-read it and understood.  In this particular word, I needed to use my keys which represent authority,  to obtain my promise.

What are those keys, anyway?  I had to do some serious meditation to get my answers.

I have found these following keys that I or anyone can work with:

• Praise and worship
• Prayer. Not praying out of fear, but out of faith
• Using the name of Jesus in my prayer time. The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
• Fasting. There are many books and teachings on fasting, but to give you the short answer, your flesh comes under the submission of the Lord. Isa 58:6  “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?
• Obedience. Obey those in leadership, your pastor and obey the word of the Lord for your life.
• Serve. Jesus came to serve, and we should do the same
• Rest. Rest in the Lord and believe.
• Right heart attitude, make sure your heart is right in each action you take.

What can cause your keys to not work?

• Ignore you have keys, which is what I did until I was reminded
• Unbelief and doubt, not believing the word of God, or that He even cares about you.
• Laziness. Not using your time wisely in meditation of the scripture and prayer
• No placing the Lord first in your life

Have I received my desires?  Not all of them. I am still waiting, and even while I wait, I know God is at work in me and through me and for me. 

Waiting increases faith, and to be honest, can be difficult, but as the song goes, I trust and obey.

What other keys have you discovered? Share them in the comments below.

Shout a little louder

Do you tire waiting for your prayers to be answered? I confess, I do. In reading about the account of blind Bartimeaus, I learned something.

We read where Jesus and his disciples are arriving at Jericho, and encounter a great multitude. One particular guy stands out, named Bartimeaus.

When Bartimaeus heard Jesus was in town, he began to shout: ¨ Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.¨ He was asking to be healed.

Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay

Bartimeaus was ignored and told to be quiet, he then began to shout even louder.

Jesus then asked for Bartimeaus and made his way towards him. In front of Jesus, he was asked a simple question. ¨What do you want me to do for you?¨ He answered to receive his sight, and he did so.

I noticed a few things. Bartimeaus father´s name is Timaeus, which means the unclean. His father was unclean, and he was a blind beggar. It did not look good for him.

He knew Jesus was in town because he heard people around him talking, and he did not stop shouting for Jesus and shouted even more when told to be quiet. Maybe there are times I need to get a little loud in my prayers, what do you think?

Bartimaeus threw off his garment, or his beggars cloak. It was most likely very worn out and smelled. I see it as ridding himself of his past identity and walking into the future that awaited him. Get of rid of the smelly past.

He walked toward Jesus, Jesus did not go to him. Now remember he is blind, and only had the sound of the voice to guide him, and on top of that, there was a multitude. Am I hearing the right voice when it comes to my prayers? I want to go directly to the source and ignore the other voices around me.

When he asked for his healing, Jesus did not lay hands on him, so Bartimaeus felt nothing. He heard the words of Jesus, believed and was healed.

In summary:

• Shout, pray louder or longer
• Your bloodline does not matter. Jesus will cleanse it with his blood
• Get rid of your past and any false identities placed upon you
• Walk toward the voice of the Lord calling you
• You may not feel anything, but receive in faith

When your prayer is answered, continue following Jesus on the road with all your heart.

Bible reading: Matthew 10:46-52

4 easy steps to flow in visions while in prayer

There are times where I will receive a vision while praying for myself or for others, and some friends I have also flow in visions.    But the question came, how is it that you can receive these impressions from God?

You have to look. Let me explain.

While in prayer, focus on Jesus.  This can be difficult at times, especially when things and circumstances around us can be in disarray.  I know for myself when finances have been tight all I can think about is how much money I don´t have and the obligations that need to be met.  It takes discipline to focus on Jesus and His goodness.

One verse that helps me is Ephesians 1:17 and 18  which reads: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,  the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.

The part I focus on in this verse is the eyes of my understanding or the eyes of my heart.  I personalize this verse, and as I do I believe that I will see while in prayer.

In 2 Kings Chapter 6, the King of Syria was not very happy with the prophet Elijah.  When he arrived with his horses and chariots and surrounded the city, Gehazi, Elijah’s servant saw the army, he did not know what to do. I too would be nervous.  Elijah was at peace because he was ¨seeing¨ a different scenario. Elijah asked the Lord to open his eyes that he may see, and Gehazi was able to see the mountains full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elijah.

When we see visions, it brings hope.  It tells us God is at work, He is for us. He has a plan, a better future.   For me, visions have sustained me in those difficult times and have given me the shot in the arm so to speak, and I keep going.

I later use these visions I have received in my prayer times, always thanking Him for what is to come, even though I may not see it.   It’s called faith and standing on His promises.

The book of Revelation is written based on the visions John saw while on the Island of Patmos.

Jesus operated in visions constantly.  Johns 5:19 says Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

So how so we see vision while in prayer?

1. Be still, quiet yourself before the Lord, always focusing on Jesus. Not your to-do list! Sometimes soft music can help, for others, total silence works best.
2. Be tuned to thoughts and impressions that pop into your mind. Have a notebook with you and be prepared to write down what you see and hear.
3. Look.  Ask the Lord to open the eyes of your heart, ask Him you wish to see a vision.  When we ask, He will not deny us.
4. Write down what you see and hear. Try not to doubt or discard what you have received. Share what you received with a mature person in the word to help you discern.  

Do not be discouraged if what you received is not of God, press through and you will get there, trust me!

Think of a lake that is being stirred, and all the muck rises to the surface. One day the muck is gone, and what is left is a clear lake, ready to receive. Yes, this was one of my first visions when I began asking to ¨see¨.  This vision gave me hope to continue.

As you continue this exercise, you will grow in your relationship with the Lord, and most of all, you will grow in faith, hope, and love.

For complete teaching, consider reading Mark Virkler’s book 4 keys to hearing Gods voice. No affiliate link, just a fan!

Desire

James 1:15  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

As I was reading the book of James this verse jumped out at me.  I went back to read it over a few times, and the context of these verses is birthing sin.  When our sin becomes a desire, it is conceived in our hearts and proceeds to give birth, which as the word says brings forth a spiritual death, separation from God. This is the same death Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden when they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  

 

Image by Couleur from Pixabay

So I thought, if this can happen to sin, what about our dreams and desires that are birthed by God in our spirit, can they too be conceived in our spirits, and then give birth to blessing and bring forth life?

When a child is conceived, there is an incubation period of nine months for a full-term baby to be born.  During this time, the soon to be parents and family members talk about the baby, the growth, who will the baby look like, watch their diet and even name the child.

The same should be true when the Lord has given us a desire. It is incubating in our spirits, and we should cooperate with the Lord to make sure that we don´t suffer a spiritual miscarriage. The incubation may be longer or shorter than nine months, but when it comes to the Lord, timing is not an issue.

How do you know what you are thinking about is of the Lord? For me, it´s a desire that was placed there and the more I think about it, the more it grows within my spirit. I start meditating and praying about it, and even journal to see what the Lord is telling me. I may even read books on the subject and see what other information I can find online.

Many desires are thrown away by people thinking its just their imagination. God has given us an imagination, and desires, and we can prosper with these. God wants us to prosper!

If you are thinking about something that is out of this world, and it stays with you, it´s most likely the Lord giving you a dream. Water that dream with the word, with prayer and with faith and in due time, your desire will be full grown.

Praying for my prodigal

Our son will be 30 years old this month of August.  As a mother, I always envisioned him going off to the University, but instead, he has chosen to become a mixologist. We attended church as a family, he was in Sunday school, he shared Christ and even went on a short term mission trip. But like many parents out there, their children and my son have decided to follow the world.

Image by Scott Webb from Pixabay

I have been praying for his return to his first love for many years, and it is easy to get discouraged and give up.  But there is something that keeps me going, and that is the promise I have received from God that yes, he will return and yes, he belongs to Jesus.

My journal times with the Lord are precious. It is here I receive comfort and vision to pray in His promises over my son, and I also pray the same for nieces and nephews that have gone astray.

So what do we do in the meantime?

• We love him
• We call him
• Invite him for lunch or dinner
• Casually share how God is moving in our lives
• Challenge him
• Give thanks
• Keep praying

Through the years I have come across prayers and have even made up a few of my own, and I would like to share a few with you.

I ask you Lord to place (child’s name)  in a hedge of thorns, so that he may not sin against you, and that he may not continue his path towards deception, lust and evil, and wickedness, and he will turn back to Jesus with all his heart, soul and mind.  Hosea 2;6

We are mindful of the seeds that we have planted in (child’s name), we declare that these seeds will be watered by our love and your love Father, and bring a great increase in every area of (Child´s name) life.   May he/she increase in heavenly wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man. Matt 13.23

(Child´s name)  has been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.  He stands holy and blameless before God in love, because of what Christ did on the cross.

John 10:28 -29  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.

Lord, bring (child’s name) back to his first love, and may he/she be miserable in their sin. I received this prayer from a pastor. His son came back and is now a preacher!

One thing I have learned from praying these and other prayers is to cooperate with the word of God, pray it like you mean it and believe. God´s word will not return void!

To be honest, it can get weary at times and I falter. The word of God sustains me, and I get back to praying and declaring blessings over his life. I know the Lord hears my and other parents prayers. I have resolved to not give up, and I know all the years of intercession will bear fruit.