Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
Proverbs 4:23
Tag: Be strong and courageous
The Way Out is To Stay In
“For the Word of God is alive and active… Hebrews 4:12a
The author of the letter to the Hebrews implores its readers to not drift away from Christ, from His message, from their belief in Him as their Messiah, the final authority, and the only way to be saved.
Many of us, if not all of us, will at some point come to a trial that will cause a crisis of faith. A turning point. A time when the pressure will be almost intolerable and we will either press in to Him all the more, or we will look for a way out, and turn away from Him.
God’s Word clearly states that those who have been truly converted are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and I believe God will keep those believers in the faith through trials.
And those who completely turn away, who choose unbelief and never come back to faith are the ones who never had a belief in Christ that resulted in conversion.
But there is a third group, and those are the ones who have believed, who have been converted, but at that turning point choose to allow their hearts to be hardened and walk away, or step back to one degree or another, for a time.
I think any of us can find ourselves in that category if we’re not careful.
The author of Hebrews exhorts them to keep believing.
“See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that runs away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:12-13
Life can get pretty hard. And we can become disillusioned when we think God shouldn’t have allowed something so intensely painful, or that He should have rescued us in a certain way, or in a certain amount of time.
Right now we’re all facing a trial together. Many are out of work, many are sick, and many have lost loved ones.
We can choose to be angry and walk away from God, or we can choose to take our pain and our trials to the One who sits on the throne, who’s always sat on the throne, and who will always sit on the throne. The One who’s also taken up residence inside our hearts, and can heal our hearts and bring us through the trials.
For that reason, God’s given us His word which is “alive and active…”
Spending time in God’s Word is not like reading just any other book.
It is “God-breathed…“
If we allow it, through His Word God will teach us, rebuke us, correct us, change us, encourage us, reveal to us, cleanse us, fill us with His peace and joy, and draw us closer to Him so that instead of drifting away when a trial comes, our faith will grow stronger than ever before.
The way out of trials, is to stay in. Walking away from God does nothing but cause more heartache and pain. Stay in the trial, stay in the faith, stay in God’s Word, and let Him bring you out, or through, His way, in His timing, shining with faith.
Did you know it takes 725,000 pounds per square inch of 
pressure to turn carbon into a diamond? That’s a lot of pressure. But when they come through the process, they are one of the purest, most precious and most beautiful items there is, and because of that, they’ve become symbols of love.
God allows what He hates to accomplish what He loves. Those trials full of pressure will purify our faith if we let them, if we seek Him and His heart-changing Word through them, if we allow Him to have His way in us. And when we come through it all, we will shine for eternity as treasures of God’s great and precious love.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Confidence
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise your holy name. We praise you for your unconditional love, for your grace and mercy, for your faithfulness, and we praise you for your provision.
Thank you, Lord, for your Word where you tell us “‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:5b-6, 8)
You are our Rock. Help us to never forget that, no matter what. Help us remember that you are always with us, always helping us, always providing, always comforting, always strengthening, encouraging, leading, filling, always loving.
Lord, I pray we will walk in this confidence every day. I pray we would not let anyone or anything take this confidence from us. We give you our whole hearts and lives, and we put all our trust and faith and hope in you. In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Strength, Courage, and Wisdom
Dear Almighty God, Heavenly Father, we praise your name. We praise you for your goodness and your faithfulness. We acknowledge that your ways are higher than ours, that your plans are holy and righteous.
Father, please forgive us for our sins. We pray your Holy Spirit is free to move in and through us with His love and wisdom and kindness. We pray for your strength and courage to remain steadfast and faithful to our calling as dearly loved children of the Holy One as we weather this storm.
Lord, let us be a beacon of your light as we walk in the peace and love that only you can give. May we stand out as a light in the darkness, prepared and ready to serve you in whatever way you call us. May your will be done.
Lord, we pray you would pour out your Spirit and bring a revival such as we have not seen in a long time. We pray you would soften hearts, open spiritual eyes, and grant repentance so many can come to faith.
Father, we pray for a swift end to the virus that is making its way around the world right now. We pray you would give wisdom to the leaders, wisdom to those who are working hard to come up with a vaccine, and wisdom for each of us as we choose our steps.
We look to you, Lord, the One seated on the throne in heaven, the One who rules the world, and yet is near to us, as near as our own hearts, indwelling us with your Spirit, leading us with love and compassion.
Thank you for all you are, for all you are doing, and all you will do. We pray in the holy and precious name of Jesus, our Yeshua HaMashiach, our Yahweh, our Adonai, our Elohei Ma’uzzi, our El Roi, our Jehovah Rapha, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer to Keep Pressing In
Heavenly Father, we praise you. We praise you for who you are and for all you do.
Father, we need you desperately, and yet there are times when we press into you more, pray more, read more, that we then begin to feel attacks from the enemy. But you are with us, Lord.
Please give us focus and wisdom to “be alert and of sober mind. [Our] enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Give us strength to “resist him, standing firm in the faith, because [we] know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)
We lift up our fellow believers all over the world who are facing severe persecution. Please, Holy Spirit, we ask that your presence would fill jail cells and other places where believers have fled, that you would fill them with your peace that passes all understanding when they are tortured, when they are hated, and rejected. We pray you would lift them up and encourage their spirits because the joy of the Lord is their strength. And remind them that their very great reward is with you.
Help us stay focused, Lord. No matter how the enemy tries to throw us off course, discourage us, make us feel unloved, unneeded, and unwanted, remind us Who has called us. Remind us Who loves us, Who died for us, and Who gives us purpose every single day.
Remind us that when we feel the enemy’s breath, he’s there because we have become a threat to him, because through our prayers You, the Almighty God, moves mountains, changes hearts, and pulls souls back from the brink of hell.
Encourage us to keep pressing in, to keep praying, to keep reading, no matter what, and even more as the day grows nearer to your return.
Like Isaiah, we say “Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near.” Isaiah 50:7-8a
We pray it all in the mighty, precious, holy name of Jesus, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise You. We praise you for your goodness and faithfulness, for your love and grace and mercy, and for the joy you give even in the midst of adversity.
Father, we lift up to you today the persecuted church. We pray for whole churches who must meet in secret. Help them to not give in to fear, but gain strength from You and each other as they encourage one another. We pray these congregations will only grow as your Spirit draws more believers.
We pray for those all over the world who are being persecuted – imprisoned, tortured, rejected by family members, because they have put their faith in you, the one true God. We pray for your mercy toward them, that you would do amazing works through the your light that now lives inside them.
We pray your Holy Spirit would comfort them and fill them your peace that surpasses all understanding. May they know your love for them and may they live in confidence of it always, with all hope and joy. May they know that with you they will be strong and courageous.
Help them to know they are not alone, and they are not forgotten. We pray your will would be done, that they will be unharmed, released from prison, accepted by their families. And when they aren’t, we pray you would empower them to endure.
We pray for the salvation of those around them – whole families, guards, other prisoners, those who live near them, that they will see your love and peace in them and also come to know you as their Lord and Savior.
Help them to remain in prayer, and never let go of their trust in You. May you use these situations, and what the enemy means for evil, for your good and your glory.
Help them keep their eyes on You, and hold onto the words you gave to John “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.”
These are the heroes of our faith, Lord. Please remind us to keep praying for them. In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen.
Not a 9-5 Job
Pastors only work a couple of hours on Sundays, right? Maybe a couple more if there’s a midweek study? Well, not quite.
Not even close.
Besides spending time in prayer, studying God’s Word and preparing the teachings, pastors oversee all the church staff, each ministry, all the events, manage the church building maintenance, allocate church finances, counsel hurting people, resolve disputes (at least try!), perform weddings and funerals, and I’m sure a lot of other things that we don’t even know about.
And they do it all while also managing their own household, marriage, children, all with the same challenges we all have.
And it’s not only what they do, but how God calls them to do it – with all love, grace, mercy, humility, wisdom, patience, and stewardship.
In his first letter to Timothy (third chapter), Paul says, “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”
And speaking of the devil, make no mistake, pastoring a flock is a front lines position. Pastors, and their families, are particularly open to spiritual attacks.
This is not a job, but a calling they pour their hearts into, day in and day out, 24/7, and pastor burnout is not uncommon.
That’s where we come in. 
“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to appreciate those who diligently work among you [recognize, acknowledge, and respect your leaders], who are in charge over you in the Lord and who give you instruction, and [we ask that you appreciate them and] hold them in the highest esteem in love because of their work [on your behalf].”
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 AMP
Every Sunday we walk in and sit down, taking for granted that someone has laid down his life in service to the Lord and to us, to feed us, to train us, to care for us as the Lord would have him do. Showing our appreciation is the very least we can do to serve them back, to encourage them, to let them know their service is not in vain, but is making a difference in our lives.
Of course that can be done any time of the year, but to come together in October to corporately show our appreciation during Pastor Appreciation Month is a way we can stand together with our pastors, and their families, as one in the Lord.
Thank you, pastors!
Heavenly Father, we lift up our pastors to you and ask that you would fill them up with your Spirit, and renew their hearts with the love, wisdom, and encouragement they need to continue faithfully in the service you’ve called them to. We pray you would strengthen their marriages and protect their families from the enemy. Help us to never take for granted all they do, and remind us to pray for them, this month and always. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
How God Can Put Together the Broken Pieces of Our Heart
Last weekend our church had the distinct privilege of hearing this man give a little bit of his testimony about what happened on the day this photo was taken and afterward. You might be familiar 
with this image of Chris Fields and Miss Baylee Almon that was taken, unbeknownst to him, on April 19, 1995, the day of the Oklahoma City bombing.
He described a little bit about that horrific, rainy day that would end the lives of 168 people, 19 of them children, and injured more than 500. How rows of first responders dug their way through rubble, 5 gallon buckets at a time, passing each one behind him or her until late into the night, looking for people, dead or alive. How they had to try to match body parts to the rest of the body. How they came across a woman, barely alive, and were able to get her to safety, only to learn later that she and her unborn baby didn’t survive.
And how another firefighter handed Miss Baylee (the name her family called her) to him for a few moments while he went to find something to lay down so they wouldn’t have to lay someone’s precious child directly on the ground. Even how the Pulitzer Prize winning photo itself caused a lot of grief and controversy.
Chris struggled hard to deal with all that had happened. Sometime later, when the smell of wet cement triggered a flashback of that day, he began to realize just how much the events were affecting him.
Chris talked about the fact that his mom had always been the family’s prayer warrior, and she told him God had a plan for him. But Chris didn’t see it, and he decided to make his own plan, and he moved away from his wife and young sons.
Chris’s wife, Cheryl, talked about the fact that she didn’t grow up in a Christian family like Chris had. Still, when her husband left, she turned to the Bible. People encouraged her to read the Psalms, and when she didn’t understand something, she called Chris to explain. And she began to pray.
She didn’t try putting on pretenses with God. She was honest. She prayed that if Chris wasn’t coming back, the Lord would take away her love for him.
Some people might not dare pray a prayer like that. Some people might just get mad at God and not pray at all. And they might miss out on all God wants to do in their lives because of it.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29
Cheryl kept praying, and never once did God turn her away for praying that prayer. On the contrary. Sitting in the presence of God, over and over, allowed God to work in her heart. Of course, God didn’t take away her love for Chris. He strengthened it.
God filled Cheryl with His amazing grace. And when Chris called one day about a year and a half after he’d left, Cheryl said, “Come home.”
And he did.
I’m sure the road since hasn’t been easy. There’s been counseling, and Chris still gets emotional talking about it. But with God they’ve persevered.
Since then Chris and Cheryl have spoken to many groups about PTSD, and about the hope that God gives. Looks like Chris’s mom was right (as moms often are).
The enemy does not have the last word. he will not have the last word as long as we sit with God and pour out our hearts to Him. He will never turn away someone who’s genuinely seeking Him, no matter what the prayer.
God’s not one bit surprised at the thoughts we have. He knows our hearts better than we do and already knows the thoughts we have. He just wants us to be honest, and know we can go to Him with anything. He’s our loving Father, and He wants us to know that no matter how broken our hearts are, if we’ll offer up those pieces to Him in prayer, He can put them together even better than they were before. If we abide in Him – cling to Him – through the good, the bad, and the ugly, He can fill us with His love and grace and mercy, fulfill His plans for us, and set us on a path we never dreamed possible.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for all you do. Thank you for loving us through everything, for giving us your strength and courage as we go through trials. Help us to give you our hearts, no matter how dark they seem or how many pieces they’re in, so you can heal them and fill them with your light. Help us to daily abide in Christ. Help us hold onto Him, to pray without ceasing, no matter what. Make us more than conquerors, Lord, and we pray that you have the last, victorious, glorious word in our hearts and in our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Sunday Praise and a Prayer for the Persecuted
Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you, and we thank you for all you’ve blessed us with. Forgive us for the times we take those blessings for granted, and we ask that you would remind us often to be grateful to you for pouring out onto us more blessing, more freedom, more love and grace than we can imagine. I pray our gratitude will lead us to be a fountain of that love, grace, and mercy that you’ve so generously given to us.
Lord, we lift up our brothers and sisters around the world who are being persecuted for their faith, those who are in prison, who are being tortured, who are separated from their families. Father, in Jesus’ name I pray you would fill them with your Holy Spirit and your might so that all you desire to accomplish in and through them will be done. May you do miraculous things, things that only you can do.
Lord, please fill them with your peace that passes all understanding; fill them with your strength to go on from one hour to the next; fill them with your love and forgiveness so that their hearts don’t become hardened or bitter; fill them with your joy so they are a light to those around them; fill them with boldness to continue proclaiming the gospel and the name of Christ; fill them with hope as they remember their great reward is with you.
May they feel your presence with them, and may you, in the mighty name of Jesus, bind the hand of the enemy. May our brothers and sisters continue to trust you, put their faith in you, and may they see, even if only a little bit, the fruit of their labor. And may we always remember them in our prayers, and honor them with our lives, boldly and freely proclaiming the gospel and the name of Jesus Christ. It’s in His precious and matchless name I pray, amen.
How to Forgive the Unforgivable
So, what do we do until then? What do we do until the day we see our Lord face to face and He makes all things right like I talked about last time? Life is unfair and full of injustices. Small ones, big ones, some as big as tidal waves. And they can hurt and wound and leave us bleeding. They can scar our hearts into a hardened mass that can’t (or won’t) feel anything.
Just like God’s given our bodies the ability to heal, He’s also provided a way to heal our hearts – forgiveness.
Now, you might be sitting there thinking, “Right, she doesn’t know what that person did to me. There is no way I can forgive that.” And you’re right, I don’t know the particular ways you’ve been hurt, and you’re also right on count #2, you can’t forgive them. Not completely. At least not on your own you can’t.
But I do know a little bit about forgiveness, and I’m going to tell you my story and how I was able to forgive the unforgivable.
I came to know Christ as my Savior when I was 26 years old. And yes, that was longer ago than I’d like to think about. I was radically saved, filled to the brim and overflowing with the Holy Spirit and joy and excitement and desire to do God’s will.
I sat in my spot in church two times a week (three during women’s bible study season), and soaked up every teaching. After a while I began to notice one particular theme that stuck my heart every time, and that was of forgiveness, and that it was a choice.
I knew there was something from my past that had wounded me deeply and the Holy Spirit began to speak to my heart telling me that I needed to forgive this person or the pain of it would severely affect my heart, my family, and my life.
Several years before, I had been raped. Grabbed off the street by someone I didn’t know. The nightmares and heightened awareness and fear of my surroundings haunted me. Classic PTSD. How could I forgive that?
Of course, in my flesh, I didn’t want to. I couldn’t. But I was determined to do God’s will. And if He was convicting me to do it then He must know I can.
“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25
If I had truly been forgiven, saved, and filled with the Holy Spirit, then the power to forgive lives in me through the Holy Spirit and He would give me the ability to do it.
So I began to sit on my bed, time after time, and pray. I prayed out of sheer obedience to my Lord. “Lord, I choose to forgive that man. Please help me forgive Him.” The words came out of my mouth, prayer after prayer, as if by rote.
And about the third or fourth time I prayed that prayer, I suddenly heard myself saying “I don’t know what I’m doing by not forgiving Him.”
That, my friends, was the Lord. It was His Spirit, His power, His ability to forgive, answering my prayers, honoring my willingness, and forgiving him through me.
And suddenly, I felt it. I felt like I had forgiven him. God had moved from my head into my heart the realization that any unforgiveness I chose to hold over him was only hurting myself, my family, and my life. It was done.
The nightmares began to subside, and so did the involuntary jerking of my head to the left whenever I saw something move in my peripheral vision. The PTSD has lessened, but I can’t say it’s completely gone.
There are just some things that make a mark on our souls that won’t be completely healed until God rids us of our mortals bodies, along with their wounds, and clothes us with the immortal.
I’ve had lots of other opportunities to forgive since then. Praise God nothing along those same lines. But here’s the thing: whenever I hear another teaching about forgiveness, or I’m praying to forgive wounds, thinking about all the hurts that still need to be forgiven, that particular wound never comes to my mind. Ever. It’s done.
It’s so done that I’ve been able to pray for that man’s salvation, knowing that he is created and loved by God just like I am.
Forgiveness is the balm that heals the scars of our hearts.
Yes, it was wholly unfair. But what the enemy meant for evil, God has used for good. He’s used it to teach me about forgiveness; He’s used it to give me more compassion for people who are hurting, and I pray He’s using it now as I write this and then as you read it.
I pray it gives you courage, through the power of Christ, to forgive the unforgivable. No, healing may not come quickly. Forgiveness is often a process. But keep praying, in faith, so that you can exchange pain for His glory, and grief for His joy. If you need prayer, I would be more than honored to pray for you.
I pray that what the enemy meant for evil in your life, you will, by choice, through obedience, let Him use it for good. And in doing so, we share in the sufferings of Christ, becoming even more bonded to Him, knowing just a little bit about what He did to forgive us.
Grace and Peace,
