When God Says Pray, & Why We Should Never Ignore That

"Pray without ceasing."
I Thessalonians 5:17
(KJV)

Before I begin this post, I wanted to ask you to please pray for the family of a young woman who was killed in a one-car traffic accident.
Her little 2-year old son was in the back, unhurt.
I can't imagine the pain in the hearts of this family, and I know they would greatly appreciate your prayers during this sad time.

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This is the amazing, beautiful view outside the home of our nephew, David, and his wife, Stacie.
I could literally sit and take in this view for hours.
My eyes...and heart...are drawn to the far, distant hills, and to the God Who created them.

Those of you who have been reading Homespun Devotions for a while,
know that a little over five years ago, God called my mother home to Heaven.

Losing her, and Dad, nearly twelve years before her, has been beyond hard.
I will miss them forever.
Anyone who has lost their parent(s) can attest that there is nothing on earth that can fill that kind of void.

We never had much in the way of money or worldly wealth while I was growing up.
But, even though we struggled, financially, Mom and Dad possessed and passed on something to me that is greater than any monetary treasure they could have ever bestowed.

Mom and Dad taught me how to pray.

Prayer was observed as the first resource in our home.
Through their example, and by means of their normal behavior,
Mom and Dad never made prayer their last resort.
If one of us or another loved one was sick, we prayed.
If we were broke, we prayed.
If we needed food, we prayed.
If the car wouldn't start, we prayed.
When Dad's prospective employer was hesitant about hiring him, due to his health problems,
we prayed.
During the treacherous Ohio blizzard of 1978, we prayed.
If we couldn't pay a bill, we prayed.
We prayed about everything.
We went to hospitals and nursing homes, and we prayed...for people who were sick, lonely, and depressed.
We rarely missed Wednesday night "prayer meeting".
We gathered together in our living room, at the end of each day,
and we all three prayed an individual prayer out loud around our family altar.

I learned, early on, that circumstances were often rearranged when we would pray.
Mountains that seemed to be immovable were brought low and conquered.
It didn't take me long to realize that, within the life of a Christian,
prayer is not just a tool, it is a weapon that, when properly wielded,
will absolutely turn the tide.

Mom and Dad's prayerful influence and daily, consistent encouragement to pray
has had a lasting, permanent effect upon the person, wife, and mother I have become.
Prayer is an integral part of who I am.
It is woven through so many fibers of my being that, it seems,
 I hardly know when I stop praying and when I start up again.
God and I are having a conversation the biggest part of the time,
and prayer keeps me in close proximity to Him.
We seldom stop communicating....and even when we do stop talking,
it is there, in the back of my mind.
Always flowing...ongoing.
My prayer life is a precious thing to me, and I say that, not with haughtiness or boastfulness,
but with much love and respect for Jesus in my heart.

Now that I am married, thankfully to a man who also loves to pray,
Kevin and I endeavor to make our home a house of prayer.
In addition to individual prayers, we believe it is vitally important to have regular family worship...
the three of us...together....like Mom, Dad, and I used to do.
A lot of "stuff" comes to the surface during those times of all three of us listening to each other
pray out loud.
One of my greatest desires, as a mother, has always been to ingrain a quality of prayer into the fiber of Zach.

The other night, it hit me how automatic prayer has become in our lives as a family.
Kevin had to work, and Zach and I were on our way to Bible Study.
We started listening to the radio, and all of a sudden I felt a strong sense of needing to pray.
So, I asked Zach if he minded, and, bless his heart, this boy who loves to pray about as much as his Mama, quickly turned the radio off.
He was all in.
We prayed...and prayed...and prayed...nearly the whole 40-45 minutes there.
If he needed to add something, he would pipe up and start praying,
and I would stop, then I would resume again when he was done, etc.
This is something that is happening more often, as Zach grows and matures.
I can't put into words how precious those times are to me.
Not only to have that beyond-dear time with this boy in prayer,
but to be reminded, once again, what a habitual and instinctive force prayer has become in our lives.

There is no way to measure the value and power of effectually and fervently
wielding the weapon of prayer.


If video doesn't load, click here.
Written by Charles & Ira Louvin

In the posts found here, here, and here, I have been talking about spiritual warfare and how important it is to memorize the Word of God, so our Sword stays steadily sharpened.
Prayer is also a vital component of God's strategy for us to win the ongoing battles in this spiritual war.

When the Apostle Paul wrote instructions concerning our need to put on the whole armor of God
in Ephesians 6:11-18, he put strong emphasis upon prayer, after he had named off several individual pieces of armor that we should put on.
In verse 18 he says this,
"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..."

Jesus spent much time in prayer when He was on the earth,
even spending all night in prayer and rising very early so He could be alone to pray.

Wouldn't you have loved to hear some of the heart-wrenched prayers He prayed?
Every, single one of His prayers were fervent, and they were effectual.
I have no doubt.

Jesus Christ realized how valuable it was for Him to stay connected to His Father at all times.
Therefore, He took the necessary time to make sure He fit that communion into His day,
even if it meant giving up sleep, comfort, and ease.
It was just that important to Him.

Shouldn't it be to us?

"And He (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end,
that men ought always to pray, and not to faint..."
Luke 18:1

We've probably all seen the plaque at some point throughout life.

"Prayer Changes Things"

If I remember correctly, I think the first time I saw it was on my prayer-warrior Papaw's living room wall.
Papaw prayed more than anyone I have ever personally known.
Each morning, he rose early, in order to find time to spend interceding to God for his family,
the congregation he pastored, and the many needs presented to him by others.

Seeing that plaque on his wall is a vague memory, but the message stuck.

When my sister, Sandi, called and told me my niece, Kristen, who was expecting a baby and also suffering from a blood clot in her arm, had driven herself to the ER and collapsed after getting there, then found out a blood clot was in her lung, I'll admit that not just a "normal" fear, but full-blown terror gripped my heart.

And, what was astonishing to me, at the time, was that the night before this phone call, I had felt an overpowering, pressing burden to pray.

I remember telling Kevin and Zach that I needed to pray, and it needed to be NOW.

I didn't even know who or what exactly I was praying for.

I just knew that someone needed help that only God could provide, and it was imperative that I fervently pray.

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

James 5:16

Not that I am in any imaginable way righteous.

It is only through the precious blood of Christ that I have been redeemed.

It is HIS righteousness working in me that opens the opportunity for me to approach Him in prayer.

Kristen's situation was not the first time I had felt an overwhelming burden to fervently pray, even though I didn't know for whom or what I was to pray.

One other time, in particular, that will be forever embedded into my memory happened on the night of April 30th, 2016.

I remember telling Kevin and Zach that a burden that I could not seem to shake was upon me to pray.

I didn't have a clue who needed help or what was happening, but I knew, without a doubt, that someone desperately needed my prayers, and I should not procrastinate.

I remember that even after I prayed, I could not seem to find relief, and there was this nagging sense of needing to continue to pray.

It just wouldn't let up.

What I didn't know until my sister-in-law called was that just a few, short hours after the crushing heaviness in my spirit, a demonic-controlled, maniacal man, (animal seems more appropriate), would enter the apartment of my dear niece, Victoria, and she would die an agonizingly brutal and painful death, at his cruel and murderous hand.

(If you would like to read more, you can click on these links,
Prayers Needed For My Family,

Grieving For My Niece, & Trying To Forgive Her Killer, and

The Death Of A Killer.)

I can't tell you the number of times I have wondered why my earnest prayers were not enough to protect Victoria or spare her life that night.

At some point in my wondering, God showed me that my prayers WERE heard, and that they were answered, too.

Our Lord was there, incredibly near to her during those final hours.

He was with her...comforting her, as she lay bleeding and dying, and He never left her side.

I will never know how many ways He answered my prayers that night.

Maybe, He lessened the intensity or duration of her agonizing death.

Perhaps, He shielded her from worse...if such a thing exists.

As I prayed, I did not know the reason for the heaviness in my spirit, but the Spirit of God knew,

and as I entered into that time of prayer, He carried my burden to the throne of grace in an intelligible way that God completely understood.

Later, it all became clear, and I found out who had needed that prayer.
He knew all along.

In these two situations, as in many, many other times throughout life, I have learned to trust that sense of burden that comes over me.
I have learned to drop whatever I am doing and fall to my knees when I feel that compelling call.
I have learned the meaning of Romans 8:26,
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

This kind of praying is not easy...
not knowing who or what we are praying for,
not even knowing why we are praying,
yet feeling such an intense burden for prayer.
Does anyone else ever feel the temptation to not put forth the energy and effort required for such intercession?

It is a temptation to which even the very disciples of Jesus Christ were not immune.

Jesus faced the most challenging, excruciating night of His life, and He needed support.
Not just moral support, but earnest prayerful support.
When He asked the three men in His inmost inner circle to pray for/with Him,
He came back a little while later only to find them asleep.
They could not seem to muster the stamina required to shake off their drowsiness and intercede on behalf of the One who would soon lay down His life for them.
As a result, Jesus lacked support when He needed it most.
And, as a result, they lacked the necessary personal fortitude to remain faithful to their profession of faith when faced with the threat of persecution.

Sometimes, it would be easier to succumb to the pleasantry of letting someone else do the heavy lifting when it comes to entering into intercessory prayer.
But, I have learned to pay attention...to take heed...when I feel an inward prompting to pray.
I have learned that there is always good reason behind a nudge from the Holy Spirit.
I have learned that if I fail to pray, something, or more importantly, someone, could suffer for my disobedience and negligence.

Mom used to often tell me that "prayer is a long-range weapon".
It reaches as far as it needs to, and even when I cannot be there in person to show support,
I can pray...even when I don't know exactly who needs those prayers.

God is always listening for the prayers of His people.
"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers..."
I Peter 3:12

He invites us to approach His throne when we are in need.
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 4:16

There are times a special burden for prayer is placed upon the heart of a burden-bearer.
When we feel called to such a task, it is of vital importance that we push through the temptation to ignore such a call, regardless of personal cost.
So much is riding on our faithfulness.
God help us to rise to the challenge and be the prayer warriors that He and our loved ones need us to be!

We may never know or realize the scope of the effectiveness of our prayers on earth, 

but I am deeply comforted by the vision John saw and described in Revelation 8:3,4,

"And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.  And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand."

Your prayers and intercessions count, my friend!

They are being carried to the throne of God by the hands of angels!

Don't ever give up on producing your cause before God through the channel of prayer.

"Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob."

Isaiah 41:21

May we ever be mindful of those God-sent urges to pray.

May we press through our weariness, fatigue, and temptation to give up, and

pray on!

To read a sampling of past posts on prayer, click these links:
A Praying Mother's Reward
What If I Don't Pray?

Spiritual Warfare: Ten Things You Need To Know

 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, 

but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds..."

2 Corinthians 10:4

(KJV)

In this post and this post, I mentioned that God has been teaching me about spiritual warfare.

The training exercises have been intense and unforgettable.

The hardest-learned lessons impart the deepest and most long-lasting learning.

Any wisdom we acquire in this Christian life is worth whatever we have to go through to glean

because it better equips us to overcome and conquer in future spiritual conflicts.

Just as it takes time and experience for a soldier to become seasoned and tempered for combat,

so it goes in the Christian's life.

I shared before that God led me to take on a very exhaustive ministerial endeavor.

What I didn't tell you is that it took me a little while to surrender to what He was asking me to do,

and, when I finally surrendered and said, "yes" to God, it didn't take satan long to launch what has been one of the most fierce, cruel, extreme seasons of spiritual warfare I have battled through yet.

I said "yes" to God's call on a Wednesday, and, I kid you not, the brutal attacks began on Thursday.

Not only do the hardest-learned lessons impart the deepest and most long-lasting learning,

this learning can come by no other means than a first-hand, personal walk-through of the experience.

So, for quite some time now, I have been engaged in what feels like hand-to-hand combat with satan himself.

Aren't we all?

This fight is not unique to me.

If you are a Christian, if you are sold out to God, determined to follow Him whole-heartedly and have made up your mind to live your every moment in alignment with His Word and will,

you are either IN a spiritual battle, or there is one looming on your horizon.

Not to be negative, just telling it like it is.

It is not a matter of if you will be called out to the battlefield, it is a matter of when.

Here are ten things I've learned about spiritual warfare that I hope you will find beneficial.

1.  Prepare for war in the time of peace.
The time to prepare is when times are calm...on those precious, ordinary days.
Oh, that we would all learn the true value and worth of an ordinary day!
It is too late to try to prepare when thrust suddenly onto the battlefield.
Use lulls in between battles and moments of reprieve as opportunities to reload, regroup, and to set in motion a game plan for the next attack.

The secret to victory lies in adopting a proven strategy ahead of time and strictly adhering to it, regardless.

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
 Benjamin Franklin

2.  Study your opponent.

Who is he?

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
2 Corinthians 11:14

"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."
2 Corinthians 4:4

"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience..."
Ephesians 2:1,2

How does he operate?

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."

I Peter 5:8,9

What have you learned from his past maneuvers?

"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him."
Zechariah 3:1

When has he been most successful in discouraging you?

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

2 Corinthians 2:11

Where does he spend his time?

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it."

Job 1:7

3.  Be always on guard.

You never know when the enemy will pounce,
where temptation will present itself,
or what channel he will decide to use.

"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."
I Corinthians 16:13

Watch and pray.

The disciples slept and later failed when it mattered most.
"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Matthew 26:41

"Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep."

Psalm 121:4

Unfortunately, our adversary never sleeps, either.

Don't think for one moment that he ever lets up or falls down on the job.

4.  Build a Massive Scriptural Arsenal.

(Read about this, and find 30 Scriptures here and 20 more Scriptures here.)

Learn from Jesus' example.

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterward an hungered.

And when the tempter came to Him, he said, if Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

But He answered and said, 'It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'

Then the devil taketh Him up into the holy city, and setteth Him on a pinnacle of the temple,

And saith unto Him, if Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Jesus said unto him, 'It is written again, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'

Again, the devil taketh Him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

And saith unto Him, All these things will I give Thee, if Thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Then saith Jesus unto him, 'Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.'

Then the devil leaveth Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him."

Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus Christ, our Example, absolutely overcame satan and all of his temptations and tactics every, single time by quoting the written Word of God out loud.

This is how you and I will overcome, too.
Keep your Massive Scriptural Arsenal well-stocked, at all times.
Produce their power by SPEAKING them in the face of satan and his ploys.

"Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee..."
Job 22:28

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12

5.  Be sure to include many praise verses in your Massive Scriptural Arsenal.

The prophecy of Jesus in Isaiah 61:1-3 says,

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified."

Jesus came to give the garment of praise as an exchange for the spirit of heaviness.
The enemy will not stick around where praises to God are being uttered.

Here are ten praise verses to enhance your arsenal.

"I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."
2 Samuel 22:4

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ..."
Ephesians 1:3

"The LORD is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him."
Exodus 15:2

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
Revelation 5:12

"But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel."

Psalm 22:3

"Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..."
Ephesians 5:20

"Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people."
I Chronicles 16:8

"By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."
Hebrews 13:15

"I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of Thee..."
Daniel 2:23

"I will extol Thee, my God, O king; and I will bless Thy name for ever and ever.
Every day will I bless Thee; and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable."
Psalm 145:1-3

6.  Memorize every verse in your Massive Scriptural Arsenal.

It sounds like a lofty goal.

It isn't that difficult.

If you are going to be prepared to fight and successfully overcome the enemy the way Jesus fought and conquered him, you are going to have to know the Word of God.

Write Scripture verses on index cards or post-it notes and tape them on your bathroom mirror,

on the dashboard of your car, in the corner of your computer screen, on the back of your phone, 

on your refrigerator or microwave door, or wherever you are most likely to see them.

Repeat them out loud throughout the day.

Let them permeate your personal space and surrounding atmosphere.

7.  Keep a song of praise in your heart at the ready.

When King Jehoshaphat was faced with a battle that he could not, humanly, ever hope to win,
he developed an unusual, but simple and perfectly successful, military strategy.
He prayed to God, and he sent singers of praise out BEFORE the army.

"And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites, and of the children of the Korhites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.  And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.  And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.  And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten."
2 Chronicles 20:19-22

As a result of the singers going before the army, God fought the battle FOR them,
and they did not have to lift a finger to fight!!

"I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being."
Psalm 104:33

"Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for He hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers."
Jeremiah 20:13

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him."
Psalm 28:7

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O most High..."
Psalm 92:1

8. Study and learn from great warriors.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us..."

Hebrews 12:1

Think Joshua, David, Jehoshaphat, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Inundate your Massive Scriptural Arsenal with their words and quote them out loud in battle.

Old Testament battles are types and shadows of our spiritual battles in the dispensation of grace.

Think Peter, Paul, John.

Study their battles and the New Testament books they, through Holy Spirit inspiration, penned.

Think a Godly mentor from your past, a hero of the faith you have read about and admire, 

or a current pastor or spiritual leader who lives a holy life.

Read about the saints of old and replicate the spiritual weapons they used and wrote about.

How did they run a successful Christian race?

I guarantee that two common threads you will inevitably find is that they live(d) a life of fervent prayer, and their Scriptural arsenal is (was) abundantly armed.

Emulate that.

9.  Set Ebenezer stones to mark places of victory.

"Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us."

I Samuel 7:12

Set your own Ebenezer stones in place.

Look back on them later for encouragement.

Start an Ebenezer stone journal.

Read it when faced with a new spiritual challenge.
The same God Who brought you through before will bring you through again.
You can trust Him.
He never changes.
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever."
Hebrews 13:8

10.  Keep your armor on.
Don't ever take it off.

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints..."

Ephesians 6:11-18

God has provided for ample protection, if only we will pick up our armor, put it on, and never take it off.

2 Peter 1:10 says, 

"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall..."

May God bless each one of you and keep you ever faithful at your post of duty.

God has placed you where you are for a Divine purpose.

I don't know what your individual battle entails, but I do know that God is with you always.

Through Him, you are more than a conqueror.  (Romans 8:37)

Since God is for you, who can be against you?  (Romans 8:31)

Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.  (I John 4:4)

There are more with us than be with them.  (2 Kings 6:16)

Be courageous in your battle, and know that God is ever on your side!

As the song below says, "we must soldier on!"

If video doesn't load, click here.

Building An Arsenal of Scripture - Part 2 & Update On Kristen & Two New Urgent Prayer Requests

"Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, that made heaven and earth..."
2 Chronicles 2:12
(KJV)

UPDATE ON KRISTEN:
Thank you all SO very much for your continued prayers for my dear niece, Kristen.

Her three doctors have finally come to an agreement on a definite due date, praise God.
This is such a relief to all of us.

They have made the long-dreaded switch in the two medications,
and they have scheduled a C-section for July 5th.
They plan to have her off the blood thinners just one day ahead of surgery,
so if you could please pray that Kristen will not go into labor before the date of the C-section,
we would be most grateful.
Also, if you will, please pray that she will not develop other blood clots while off the medication,
and we are hoping her platelets and levels will be such that she can withstand an epidural to be able to be awake to experience the birth.

Surely, our trust is in the dear Lord, Who made Heaven and earth.

He is the Great Physician.

He is Jehovah Rapha - The God Who heals.

"And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: 

for I am the LORD that healeth thee."

Exodus 15:26

We are believing He will show His power through Kristen's situation.

I cannot wait to share the victory report here with so many of you
who have so faithfully prayed her through this awful ordeal.

I do not have words to express how much your prayers and loving support mean to my family and me.

We feel so blessed to have all of you in our lives and to know that so many of you are praying and interceding on behalf of my dear niece and her baby.

God bless each one of you, and may He reward you for your sacrifice and meet any needs you have in your own lives.

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I also have two NEW very urgent requests for prayer.

Today, I received news about a precious nine year old little girl who has a mass in her stomach.
Dear friends, PLEASE pray that God will heal this dear child and not allow the mass to be anything serious.
Needless to say, the family is very concerned and trusting God for good news.
We know God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think,
and our eyes are upon HIM and His power to heal.

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Last night, I received news that my dear friend, Priscilla's sister-in-law, Megan, was killed in a car wreck yesterday evening on her way home from work.
She was only 26 years old and left behind her husband, Josh, their little 7 year old girl, Sierra, and many other loved ones.
My friend and her family are in complete shock over what has happened,
and the dear little girl, of course, does not understand and is asking so many questions.

 Megan, Josh, and Sierra

7 year old, Sierra, with her Mommy, Megan, last Saturday

I can't even imagine the pain in this little girl's heart.
PLEASE pray for all who grieve over this tragic loss.

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I'd like to share several more Scriptures that God has been giving me to add to my Massive Scriptural Arsenal, in hopes that they will bless you, and you will be able to memorize them 

and add them to your own Arsenal to have on hand, at all times.

Before I do, though, I want to take this space to PRAISE GOD for bringing me through a very

rough and trying time over the course of the past several months.

The enemy has fought so hard to thwart a particularly difficult endeavor that God called me to.

We all know that wherever God is working, and whenever His purpose is being accomplished,

the enemy is not far away, doing his utmost to kill, steal, and destroy everything God is doing.

"And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him."

Zechariah 3:1

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

John 10:10

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

2 Corinthians 2:11

Let me just tell you that the spiritual warfare has been intense, and I remember one night, 

when the battle was particularly fierce that I actually told the Lord out loud,

"I am NOT going to do this."

Yes, I am ashamed and sorry to admit it, but it is what it is.
I am not going to sugar-coat the truth or pretend to be someone I am not.

I was SO discouraged, so exhausted, so physically ill,

I honestly did not think I could take it one more second.

There was a very identifiable, palpable correlation between the weighty task at hand and the severe satanic attacks I was experiencing.

There was no doubt that satan was standing at my right hand to resist me.

NO doubt whatsoever.

I knew exactly what he was doing.

But, when you are sick in body, weary in mind, and diminished in spirit,

it is hard to fight.

You reach a point where you have nothing left.

(If you care to read anymore of the not-so-desirable details,

you may want to read this post and/or this post.)

Praise the Lord, even though I was strongly tempted to run away from the battlefield, 

I finally mustered the courage to pick up my Sword and fight.

All glory to Jesus, I fought clear through and finished the exacting assignment He was asking of me.

It is done.

The lessons He taught during this time of severe testing are ever before me,
and I do not think I shall ever forget them.
I hope to share more about what He has shown me concerning spiritual warfare in a future post,
if He wills it to be so.

For now, here are 20 more verses to add to your M.S.A.

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing happened unto you:  

But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings;
that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."
I Peter 4:12,13

"Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage:
for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight."
Joshua 10:25

"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."
I Corinthians 16:13

"...for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee."
2 Chronicles 20:12

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might."
Ephesians 6:10

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
Psalms 46:1

"For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall."
Isaiah 25:4

"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
2 Timothy 2:3

"...there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few."
I Samuel 14:6

"The LORD your God which goeth before you, He shall fight for you..."
Deuteronomy 1:30

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."
Psalm 126:5,6

"The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction."

Jeremiah 15:11

"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days."
Ecclesiastes 11:1

"For the LORD will not forsake his people for His great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you His people."

I Samuel 12:22

"And My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places..."

Isaiah 32:18

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
Philippians 4:13

"Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defense, and thou shalt have plenty of silver."
Job 22:25

"The God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build..."
Nehemiah 2:20

"Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David."
Isaiah 55:3

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe."
Proverbs 18:10

God bless you, dear readers!
I love and appreciate each one of you from the bottom of my heart.

This song is my testimony tonight.
I cannot praise God enough for delivering me, once again.
PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!!!!!

May He soon send deliverance to all of you who are suffering and in battles of your own.

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