When the enemy comes in.... like a flood the Lord raises up a standard against him, defeats Him, and shows Himself strong on behalf of those who are His.  I would like to share two postings from my personal Facebook status updates.  I want to share with you how powerful prayer is and what an awesome tool we have when are united in prayer, praying the will of God, according to what is written in His Word and in our hearts.  Our family is celebrating tonight because of that great power of prayer.  Please read the following and be encouraged!

February 15, 2012 Status Update:
So grateful for that the fervent, effectual prayers of the righteous have much power and get things done! Had to put a call out this afternoon for prayers... my mother-in-love was being rushed to the hospital and wasn't responding at all. Well... tonight, she's resting well, and when hubby sent me a text he said she was sitting up, talking; she'll be there overnight for tests, but we are expecting God's best for His 80 yrs young daughter. When I tell you that my God is GOOD! My, my, my!!! As the prayers continue, we are expected improvement for both of hubby's parents. They are in two different hospitals, but Holy Spirit is where each of them rests tonight. #lovingMYfaithwalk #greatisTHYfaithfulness

James 5:16b
The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. 


February 16, 2012 Status Update:

God is GOOOOD!!! Hubby's parents are doing much better... 

They canNOT find evidence of a stroke in my mom-in-love!!! GLOOORY!!! They have stuck, probed, prodded, taken pics... To God be the glory. They are simply going to make an adjustment to one of her meds that may be too strong - (hubby's been trying to tell them that long before this happened - too many strong meds). She's in the hospital again, overnight... We'll see what tomorrow brings. 

Now, Rev. Lott, my father-in-love, is doing much better as well. He is stable, VERY cooperative now, and says he was "almost a goner" there! He began describing how people rushed in the room and he watched as they worked on him -- his heart had stopped, they called a CODE BLUE and he didn't really realize what had happened until he heard, "Code Blue" over the intercom and it triggered his memory. Whew!! He described it as people coming out of everywhere and working on him... God had men working on him in the natural and angels embattled in the spirit realm on his behalf! I cannot wait to hear for myself what he has to say about it!

Yup! The enemy tried to take 'em, but the prayers of the righteous prevailed!!! We celebrate the bigness, the awesomeness, the vastness, the omnipotence, the omnipresence, the omniscience, and the love of our God tonight!!! Instead of planning two homegoing/funeral/goodbye services, we celebrate, we shout, and we give our God ALL the glory!!!

I know some may not believe... that's okay. I choose to do so. I choose to believe that when I pray He hears me and He answers. He's done it in the past and He's done it again. Stop worrying about what you are going through; allow your faith to be strengthened as you are being prepared for what lies ahead. And for those of you who prayed, thank you is not enough. May God bless you immensely for the seeds of faith that you have sown in prayer on behalf of our family. Each time hubby has called me today, I could hear laughter and the sounds of joy in the background. What a God, what a God, WHAT A MIGHTY GOD we serve!!! 

MY God is a good God, yes He is!!! Be encouraged tonight, one and all. Be encouraged! 

I hope this has brought some encouragement, some hope, some raised expectations on your part concerning the prayers and requests that you have made known to the Father.  I also pray that you will seek out those who believe like you do, if you haven't already.  Ask God to show you those with whom you can join your faith so that you can pray for one another.  Work that faith muscle, develop it, nourish it with the Word of God, and change your perception about your challenges... look at them as opportunities to work that muscle, grow your faith, and to prepare you for what lies ahead.MY God is faithful!!

I'd like to share something that I sent in a text message.  I sent it to someone who was caught off guard by a coworker whom she had considered a friend at work.  As I wrote it, I could sense that it really was ministering to me.  I've read it several times and would like to share it, slightly edited,  because it just may minister to someone else.  I know enough not to take any credit for it.  I just love Holy Spirit and how He works.  If it's for you, receive it.  If it isn't, shelve it.  If you think someone else may benefit from it, share it.  

Here it is:

Ten Important Things to Remember About Relationships

1. Realize that some people are acquaintances.  
   
2. Keep relationships professional (at work) unless and untill God says otherwise.  
   
3. Realize that the enemy is attempting to tear you down.  It's not the people.  
   
4. Understand who you are and Whose you are in Christ.  
   
5. Find your purpose and realize everybody can't go where you are going.  
   
6. Accept the fact that growth and maturity involve pain.  
   
7. Act on and live out all of that Word you have inside of you.  
   
8. You already have what you need.  
   
9. If this series of events shakes you this much, it's an indication that the foundation on which you are standing needs a little attention... that's not a bad thing.  Thank the devil, square you shoulders,    hold your head up, and keep on marching to victory! 

10.  Continue to allow Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct you in the area of relationships.  Don't  
        forget about your divine appointments.

Make sure that you are aware that...

NO weapon that is formed against you shall prosper!

•  It may sting.
  
•  It might hurt a little bit.
  
•  Sometimes it may hurt a lot.
  
•  BUT...It won't do what the devil intended, because you are covered by the blood of the Lamb!
  

It's time to bounce back!  Let's GO!



And finally...

Stop being so hard on yourself.  You are doing well.  You are a lot stronger than you think you are.  You haven't been packing on all that Word, for all of these years for nothing!  Preparation time, baby!  God already knew!

Now go forth and be encouraged, healed, empowered, and expectant as you go!  Finish walking out your testimony so your Father in heaven can get ALL of the glory!

Make sure that you are actually in a position for the opportunities to be made available to you. Some relationships need to end in order for the blessing to rest upon you! If you are doing what is right, don't give up and don't get tired... Keep doing what you're doing. You will be rewarded. If you aren't doing what is right, then make the decision to get things in order. There's a payday for all of us... Which line will you be in?

Psalm 1
New Life Version (NLV)

The Difference between Good and Sinful People

1 Happy is the man who does not walk in the way sinful men tell him to, or stand in the path of sinners, or sit with those who laugh at the truth. 2 But he finds joy in the Law of the Lord and thinks about His Law day and night. 3 This man is like a tree planted by rivers of water, which gives its fruit at the right time and its leaf never dries up. Whatever he does will work out well for him.

4 Sinful men are not like this. They are like straw blown away by the wind. 5 So the sinful will not stand. They will be told they are guilty and have to suffer for it. Sinners will not stand with those who are right with God. 6 For the Lord knows the way of those who are right with Him. But the way of the sinful will be lost from God forever. 

It's not about YOU, it's not about ME... It's about the plan that God has in place. Best place to be --smack dab in the middle of His will! 

You know that God is thinking about you a lot, don't you?  I'm just checking to see if you do.  Read Psalm 139 and check out how much He thinks about you, cares for you, understands you, and is always with you.  Wow!  You are the bomb!!  You are a part of the Designer's Collection.  Bought, paid for, redeemed, rescued, delivered, set free, healed...  Your Daddy really does love you.  Don't ever forget it!

Don't give up.  Don't let go of that dream that's so hard to shake, so real that you can see yourself in it doing what you've been created to do, so big that you cannot imagine how it's going to manifest. Well... if it's bigger than you, then GOOD!!! That means that you will have to lean on, trust in, and rely on God to bring it to pass as you listen and obey concerning what your role is in it.

If He promised, He'll do it. If He said it, it WILL come to pass. Whatever your dream is, remember our God is BIGGER than that! And when it comes to pass, though we might be right in the middle of it, God is the one who will get ALL the glory. Allow Him to use you to make a difference. Decide that you will indeed be a mighty instrument in the hands of God. Your dream, when it manifests, will impact others and provide a platform for you to boast of your God. How awesome is that?!

Be encouraged... Be encouraged! 

I wrote this ten years ago as a note to a friend and she published it in Nikao News Online in February 2002.  When I read it I thought it might be good to share it again.  Hope it ministers to and encourages you!  (It sure has helped me to read it again!)

You know that the devil gets angry, down right mad…. Has to put things in motion to try to distract us, to make us take our eyes off of the goals we have before us, to make us not see that what we are doing is working…. to make us grow weary in well doing….

He’s a liar… he’s the father of lies…. he’s the construction manager of the great smoke screens that are erected in front of us to deceive us into thinking things aren’t going well, that things are totally different than what they really are… Pastor Davis talked about it the other day…. When we are right on the brink of our breakthrough the devil paints a picture, creates a situation that is TOTALLY unrelated to everything else to get us off our focus….

DON’T FALL FOR IT!!!!

When we are broken, God can put us together after a fashion that is unique to His plan for us.  Hop  back on the potter’s wheel and get the pieces put together and the rough edges smoothed out.

As you navigated your way through the first month of 2012, were there any changes made in the way you view things, in your expectations, in your strategy to make it closer to your goals?  If not, what will make 2012 any different from previous years?  Make sure you don't set yourself up for failure; that is, don't just keep hoping things will get better and doing things the way you've always done them.  Some changes will require uncomfortable adjustments that you will need to make.  Some will require gaining more knowledge in a certain subject area.  Other changes will require becoming accountable to someone, a group, or an organization.  And still others will require stepping out of the comfort zone that has become your safe haven.  

How bad do you want to see things change?  How bad do you want to accomplish those goals?  How bad do you want to gain ground and get closer to the goal, the vision, the dream,  and/or the destiny that God has for you?  

Ask God for the wisdom you need to begin making the changes, embracing the process, and finding joy on the journey.  He knows the purpose for which you were created.  He knows what it takes to for you to get there and He has an individualized plan already prepared just for you.  As you seek His face and the relationship you have with Him becomes even stronger, then wisdom, guidance, direction, and insight will begin to spring forth from within.  You will find yourself in the middle of His will for your life.

Yes, we can expect great things.  We can confess that we are going to achieve great things.  But until we posture ourselves before Him, allowing Him to take His rightful place in our lives, we will never realize the full benefit of that great plan that God has for our lives.  Let's throw away our preconceived notions and allow the Father to take our hand and lead us into that destiny that He has prepared for us.  And let's enjoy the journey as we embrace change.