Tag: Forgiveness

The Saturday Song – Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)

Posted on by Dorci

Happy Saturday, friends. You know, for the most part I feel called to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ, but every once in a while the Lord will put me in the path of an unbeliever, and that’s where I want to be today. 

In the path of those who have no idea what this Jesus thing is all about, and the path of those who once thought they knew, but they’ve been away for a hundred million different reasons. 

I want to tell you from the bottom of my heart that God loves you more than you can ever know. Yes, He does. You might not feel it right now, but sometimes feelings lie. 

You might have been hurt and blame God. I understand.

You might have done something terrible and don’t think He could ever forgive you. I understand. 

You might be afraid to trust Him again. I understand. 

I’ve been there, done all that, bought the t-shirt and worn it until I didn’t think I could wear it anymore.

But the power of the blood of His Son paid for all of it. 

And thirty years down the road I also understand that if you let Him, God will heal your heart; that He not only can forgive you, He is waiting to forgive you; and that no matter what the future holds, He will be right beside you, hurting with you when you hurt, but through it He will give you His peace and strength to forgive, to heal, to grow in grace and love, into very the image of His own beautiful Son. 

And just like the story Jesus told the people who had gathered around him: “while {the prodigal son} was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him,” (Luke 15:20) so the Heavenly Father waits for you to take but a step toward Him, asking for forgiveness, and He will run to you with such compassion and all the love you ever wanted, throw His arms around you, and welcome you home. 

Today’s song is dedicated to you.

Father, let the chains fall…

 

 

Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)
David Crowder

Lift your head weary sinner, the river’s just ahead
Down the path of forgiveness, salvation’s waiting there
You built a mighty fortress 10,000 burdens high
Love is here to lift you up, here to lift you high
 
If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
 
All who’ve strayed and walked away, unspeakable things you’ve done
Fix your eyes on the mountain, let the past be dead and gone
Come all saints and sinners, you can’t outrun God
Whatever you’ve done can’t overcome the power of the blood
 
If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
 
If you’re lost and wrecked again
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide
 
Let the chains fall…
Let the chains chains chains chains chains chains…
 
If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
 
If you’re lost and wrecked again
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the gates of glory be open wide

 

Update on The Return

Posted on by Dorci

I published a post about upcoming prayer events seeking the Lord on behalf of our nation. At the time I couldn’t find any definitive times for The Return, the prayer gathering led by Pastor Jonathan Cahn at the National Mall in Washington D.C. and will be simulcast, on September 26. 

I contacted the organization and apparently the times haven’t been confirmed yet, but the following is the tentative schedule. If I hear of any changes I’ll let you know.

9 AM – 9:45 AM (EDT)

  • Welcome 
  • Worship 
  • Prayers of Repentance 

9:45-10:15 AM – Repentance of Pastors and Ministry Leaders 

  • Scripture Reading 
  • Prayer 
  • Worship 

10:15-11:30 AM – Repentance for the Church 

  • Scripture Reading 
  • Prayer 
  • Worship

11:30-12 PM – BREAK 

12 PM – 3:30 – Repentance for America 

  • Scripture Reading 
  • Prayer 
  • Worship 

3:30-5:25 – Repentance for the Nations 

  • Scripture Reading 
  • Prayer 
  • Worship 

5:25-6:00 PM BREAK 

6:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Prayer and Worship 

Guard Your Heart

Posted on by Dorci

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for Our Leaders

Posted on by Dorci

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you. Thank you for the grace and mercy you continue to show us by giving us another day to prepare ourselves, another day to love others, another day to pray for those who have yet to come into a relationship with you.  

You know those who will be yours and we stand in the gap for them, praying you would bind the hand of the enemy, that your Holy Spirit and your truth would surround them, open their eyes, and with repentant hearts they would receive the forgiveness you gave your Son to die for. We pray they would receive your love and grace and mercy and that you would mold their hearts and character to be like yours. 

Father, we lift up all our leaders. No matter what political affiliation they’re with, no matter what their beliefs, we pray you would bless them according to your will.

For the good of our country and for your glory, we pray you would show them the right way. That even though they don’t understand it, they would move in ways according to your perfect will, to bring about the change you know we need. 

Lord, you blessed us with a land where we were free to worship you, to serve you, to work hard and make an honest living. We humbly ask for your forgiveness for using our freedoms to hurt one another, and worst of all, to push you out of our beliefs, our schools, out of every facet of life. 

Father we pray our leaders would see how much we need you, how vital your word is to us individually and as a nation if we expect to continue to be blessed by you. 

We pray for the salvation of our leaders, and for their boldness in prayer and in relying on the truth in your word to lead us as a nation as we move forward. 

We pray again for the pouring out of your Holy Spirit specifically on our leaders, that they might lead humbly and graciously according to all you still have for us. 

We give this country to you, merciful Father, and we wait for you. 

In Jesus’ holy and mighty name we pray, amen. 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for our Nation

Posted on by Dorci

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise you.  On this Pentecost, we remember all you’ve done for us. For giving your Son in our place so we could be forgiven and reconciled to you, and then for giving us your Holy Spirit and all He does to comfort us, teach us, lead us, convict us, mature us, and fill us with your peace that passes all human understanding.  We are forever grateful.

Father, we know you’ve shown this country immeasurable grace and mercy. And because we’ve turned away from you, we are a nation that is hurting deeply. 

Father, please forgive us for how we’ve strayed from you, for how we’ve consistently denied you and removed you from our lives.

Please forgive us for the way we’ve indulged in sin and called it good, or entertainment, or our rights. And yet all it’s done is hurt us to the core. 

We pray for revival among your people. Where we’ve only had the appearance of being Christian but our hearts have not been fully given to you, we humbly ask for your forgiveness. Where we’ve been poor examples of your love and grace we humbly ask for your forgiveness. 

We repent, O Lord, and we ask for a fresh baptism of your Holy Spirit to be and say and do all you would have us to in these dark days when people are seeking an answer to their pain and suffering, when people desire rightful change but don’t know how to make it happen.

We know you’re the answer. Help us to boldly and lovingly proclaim Christ as the only way. 

We pray for revival among those throughout our country who have yet to receive you.  

We know the enemy has people blinded, so we ask that you would bind the hand of the enemy and that you would mercifully pour out your Holy Spirit and draw people to you, to open their spiritual eyes and soften their hearts toward you.

Please reveal yourself to them and show them how much you love them. Show them that you see them, you see their hurting hearts and you desire to heal them.

You know each of them by name, you know what they’ve done and what they’ve been through, and you sent your Son to die in their place, and if they will believe on Him as Lord and Savior, and receive the gift of His death that was given as payment for their sins, in that instant you will forgive them and never again remember their sins.

And that by your Spirit you will make them new creations, with new hearts, giving them peace and joy, beginning a new, lifelong relationship with them, never leaving or forsaking them. Ever.

Father, fill us up. Change us. Lead us. Empower us to live and speak the truth in love.  Please perfect your love in us so we can live through these dark days not in fear, but in perfect peace and confidence that your love for us will never waver, and you will give us all we need until you bring us home. 

May we glorify your holy and precious and worthy Name. 

In Jesus’ Name we pray, amen.  

Deep Calls to Deep

Posted on by Dorci

“Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
All your waves and breakers
Have swept over me.”
Psalm 42:7

 

 

There is something about an 80 foot swell that can get our attention. That’s how it can feel when the trials of life come over us, one, after another, after another.  We feel almost as if we could drown under the weight of it, so we stop, lift up our hands, and call on the Lord to save us.

He calls to us in the trial, and from the depths, we call back. Spirit calls to spirit, deep calls to deep. 

On this National Day of Prayer, let’s lift up our hands to worship in spirit and in truth. Let’s come boldly before the throne, lay our hearts bare, and call to Him to is able.

Let’s let the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts, reveal our sins for confession, and intercede on behalf of our country, our leaders, our neighbors, our business owners, our pastors, our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and for those who are still lost. 

Let’s stop, and hear the calling of the Lord in the trial, in the waves of suffering, and let Him have His glorious way in and through us. 

 

Oh Heavenly Father, please forgive us for wandering so far from you and for our many sins. Thank you for sending your Son to the cross in our place to take the judgment we deserve. 

Lord, we lift up our country, and every country, and pray for your mercy. We pray you would bind the enemy, that you would allow spiritual eyes to be opened, repentance of sin granted, and that multitudes would believe on your Son as Lord and Savior for the conversion of their souls. 

We pray for revival, for salvation and the filling and power of your Holy Spirit, in and out of the church. We pray for your wisdom for our leaders, we pray for healing from this virus that has caused loss of life, inundated the healthcare system, and shut down the livelihood for so many.

We pray you would comfort those who are grieving, heal those who are sick, strengthen those who are working so hard, provide for those who are out of work, and we pray for every business to be open and fully functioning again.

We pray you would strengthen and speak through our pastors. We pray we would be mindful to be witnesses and examples of your love wherever we go, that the world would know we are your disciples by our love for one another, and that love would draw people who are thirsty for love to your fountain of grace.

We pray our trials are never wasted, Lord, and that your will is done through it all. In the midst of all the chaos that can so easily grab our attention, help us to focus on you and to be about your business, functioning in the gifts you’ve given each of us for the benefit of the Body and to bring you glory. In Jesus’ holy and precious name we pray, amen.

By This Everyone Will Know

Posted on by Dorci

Jesus is reclining at the Passover table with His disciples after Judas leaves. He gives His beloved friends some parting words to prepare them for what’s about to come, and He tells them this:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13: 34-35

He doesn’t tell them everyone will know they are His disciples if they go to church, or memorize scripture, or carry a Bible, or be nice, or any of a million other things. 

He says everyone will know if they love one another as He had loved them. Agape love.  Sacrificial love. All-encompassing, forgiving, loving-kindness love. 

And He didn’t just say other believers will know they are His disciples, but everyone will know.  The world will know. 

He tells them to love one another so profoundly, so boldly, so much so that the world sits up and takes notice and says “Hey, there go those Christians, loving each other again.”

Why does Jesus tell His disciples that?

Well, one, because that’s just how much Christ loves. He loved those around Him so much that everyone knew who He was.  He loved all the way to the cross.  And by extension, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, that is how much we’ll love when we’re following Him.

When we’re loving God, we’ll love one another.

And two, because that’s our witness. He says “everyone will know…” We are His ambassadors, and our witness to the world is our love for one another.  The gospel message that lives in and through us is that we have a love that goes beyond a worldly love. We have a divine, supernaturally given, godly love. 

And as that love drew multitudes to Him, that love lived out through us will draw the world to Him.

We want revival, we pray for revival, but are we living out the love Christ called us to in such a way that would be noticed by the world, that would draw them to Him, and lead to revival?

Let’s take a look. Is that what believers are known by? What is our reputation? Does the world look at us and talk about the love we have for one another?  Or do they talk about the way we judge, and criticize, and live hypocritically? 

I would tend to say the latter. Now, I know not all those criticisms are deserved, but maybe if the world doesn’t see who Jesus truly is, the all-encompassing love He offers them, it’s because we haven’t shown them. I know that after walking with Christ for 30 years and experienced what I have, even I don’t always have that view of believers.  And I know I’m not alone.

There are entire books written on how to heal after being hurt by those in the church, by people who have chosen to treat their brothers and sisters in ways that are far from loving.  Even Anne Graham Lotz talks about her own experience being hurt by Christians in her book Wounded by God’s People. And she also freely admits at times she’s been the one to wound. 

We all have. 

What we need to do right now, though, is regroup, repent, claim Christ’s commandment, and start loving one another. 

Jesus tell us in Matthew 5, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

And in Mark 11, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

We don’t know how long we have here before Christ returns.  Right now we may be experiencing a time when God is speaking to us, desiring that revival among His people first, preparing us, completing us, fully maturing us before He takes us up with Him, and also desiring revival throughout the world, the salvation of as many souls as possible before that time.  

We need to start the revival through our own repentance, forgiveness, and commitment, through Christ, to love one another as Christ loves the Church.

And then maybe, just maybe, the world will sit up and take notice of our love for one another. And in their desperate need for that kind of love, will be drawn to Christ, and repent, and forgive, be saved, and through Him, begin loving one another. 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for More and More…and More Prayer

Posted on by Dorci

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise your holy and precious name.  We give you glory for all you’ve done for us and all you will do for and in us and through us.  We praise you for your grace and mercy, for your forgiveness, and for your loving kindness. 

Lord, help us remember that you already know our thoughts and what’s in our hearts, and to remember and believe that nothing can separate us from your love so we will keep coming to you with our anxious thoughts, with our unforgiveness, with our anger, and with anything and everything we struggle with so we can let you into the midst of it to speak to our hearts and heal and deliver us from those things that will keep us from following you wholeheartedly. 

Help us approach your throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Thank you, Lord, for keeping us and showing us the way, all the way home.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. 

Crucify Him!

Posted on by Dorci

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultimately, it was our sins that shouted “Crucify him!” that morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And when Pilate told the crowd “I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility!” they answered “His blood is on us and on our children!”

All praise and glory to God, it is.

His blood covers us, forgives us, purifies us, so that the penalty of sin – death – passes over us. 

Spiritual Olympics

Posted on by Dorci

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 

Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

 

Next year will be the Summer Olympics. A time when athletes will put to the test everything they’ve been training night and day for, sacrificing their lives for, restricting their diets for, enduring injuries for as they’ve fallen down and gotten up over and over so they will be perfect. 

In the same way, we who have been following Christ have a proving ground right now to put into practice what we’ve been learning.

The world is stressed out and we’re all going to cross paths with that stress one way or another, whether it’s from within or without.

And there is no better opportunity than right now to put to the test the faith we’ve been learning, the trust in Christ we’ve been practicing, the filling of the Holy Spirit we’ve been training our ears and hearts and minds to hear.  

So let’s run the race with the right garments:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3 12-14