Blog – Page 14

Prayers for Financial Victory

October 20, 2018 by Mary

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Dear Lord, I pray over my financial life today. I ask for you to bring me victory in this area of my life. I understand that the way I handle my finances is a reflection of my personal discipline and relationship with you.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men

Colossians 3:23

Please show me how to best utilize what you have given me and to be a good steward of my financial blessings. As I grow in this area, Lord, I ask for your continued help that I may be able to further use my financial blessings, connections and influence to help others and to make a difference in the world.

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much,

and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.

Luke 16:10

Lord, give me wisdom and alert me to the many areas in which I waste my inheritance and squander what I have worked for. I understand that it is all in vain if it is not for your glory. Amen.

Are there specific areas of your financial life where you need God’s help? One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much…If you find yourself messing up time and time again, making the same mistakes, falling short in the same old places, perhaps…just perhaps, your victory begins in the heart. We tend to separate our finances as if they stand alone, when the truth is, they belong to God.

Every good and perfect give is from above. James 1:17

Victory in all things begins with a contrite heart. Have a heart to heart with the Lord today. Start at the beginning, rather than the present. Do you remember the day you found Jesus? Start there. Ask him to help you look at your life from that point forward. In what small things have you been continually faithful? Ask the Lord to come into your life once again and into every area, including your home, your job, your relationships, your prayer life–walk with him, your health and your finances. Surrender these things and you will find live in a steady flow of victory. God never makes mistakes. He never comes up short.

Give thanks, always.

When You Need God To Hear Your Prayers

August 5, 2018 by Mary

I planted some flowers with my son last week. We laughed and chatted as I dug trenches in his front lawn to create something beautiful in his yard. He knows that I need to dig. It’s an act of love for me to create something beautiful for him to see when he pulls into his driveway at night at the end of a day with a stressful job…because we all need joy, something to distract us from the reality of the world and it’s hardness.

We parted ways for the evening and I gave him a hug, told him I would be praying for him and that we would talk the next day. This mama’s heart never imagined that I would get a call at 4 a.m. that my boy–the one with a gentle spirit, always eager to lend a helping hand-the one who has made me laugh a million times over-the one who is a great listener, a loving son and brother to his disabled sister. “Can you and dad come and take me to the hospital? I am in terrible pain and I don’t know what’s wrong.”

A week-long health crisis began in the wee hours that morning when we received the call. Our lives were suddenly put on hold and God showed us with great clarity, what was most important to us. Everything else–those inconsequential worries–the things that don’t matter, fell to the wayside.

Dan was rushed from one hospital to another and we almost lost our son, but God put people on his path that listened to the Holy Spirit and their inner courage to perform surgery for something that seemed unlikely, and saved his life.

During the surgery, I retreated to the hospital chapel that I had grown fond of during my days as a chaplain. I had spent many hours praying for patients and their families in this small room. I paced the floors during our sons surgery, crying out to God, praying aloud and reciting scripture until there were no words left in me. God showed me in that sacred little room that He heard my prayers and it was time to rest in it.

We don’t need to plead with Him. “Do not worry. Learn to pray about everything. Give thanks to God as you ask Him for what you need. The peace of God is much greater than the human mind can understand. This peace will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6~7.

We don’t have to worry when we talk to God and ask Him for what we need. His peace comes to us to hold our hearts and minds through every kind of trial. He is still able to bring supernatural healing, even when it is beyond what we can understand. That’s the nature of faith~believing in things we cannot see and yet, we still believe.

I sat in silence, thinking about what a blessing my son has been in my life and how dearly he is loved by God. God’s presence filled the room and I could see His beautiful wings covering my son’s body on the operating table. They fluttered over him, touching and healing him. I rested in this, knowing that this peace could only be of Him.

When you feel worries rise up within you, the comfort of relying on Jesus can bring you joy. “When my worry is great within me, your comfort brings joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:19 The peace of God washed over me like a flood and brought me joy as I thought about my son.

Jesus is the Great Physician-the only One worthy of our worship. There from the beginning of time, He created the moons, the heavens and the stars, so surely, He can ordain modern-day healing and miracles. Surely, He can grab hold of our hearts and drench us with His love. Surely, His wings can hover over broken bodies in operating rooms. Surely, He can use the hands of a young surgeon to perform His miracles. Just as He uses the stars and the moon to show us when night falls upon the land, He brings hope with each new sunrise. I sat and wondered at the cross, knowing that God had heard my prayers. He already had a hope and a future for my son and He wasn’t going to let go. He held on tight to our hearts and drenched us with His supernatural love for us. He fought for us because that’s what He does.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

If you are going through difficulty, know that the Lord will fight for you. You don’t have to earn His reward, it’s freely given. He still performs miracles and healing. We don’t have to worry when we talk to God and ask Him for what we need. His peace comes to us to hold our hearts and minds through every kind of trial. He is still able to bring supernatural healing, even when it is beyond what we can understand. That’s the nature of faith~believing in things we cannot see and yet, we still believe. We don’t have to be anyone special to receive healing, as we are His children and He has already chosen us through His supernatural love for us.

Be still and know that He is God and your battle is already won. The Lord our God is all-powerful, is still alive and His love for you is relentless.

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

Be Patient

April 26, 2018 by Mary

Be Patient

Sometimes we long for things to come to us-here and now. We suffer in the waiting and want to give up.I think about the times I have wanted to give up. Sometimes it’s just because I am physically, spiritually or emotionally tired. Other times that I have wanted to give up, as though I was disappointed with God and behaving like an angry child. “I’m quitting. Nope. Not doing it. All done. I give up. Sorry God. Game over.”

Have you ever had that kind of conversation with God?

Here are some thoughts to help you get through your season of waiting:

1. Step away from whatever it is that is causing you to feel hopeless or overwhelmed.

2. Rest your body. Get the sleep you need to help your body restore itself.

3. Pray your way through the situation. Keep praying.

4. Recite scripture that gives you hope in God’s promises. Write them down, keep them in your purse or a place that you will see them as a reminder that God is at work.

5. Give praise for prayers already answered.

The best is yet to come. Be patient.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

If you are struggling with a season of waiting, perhaps you would like to work through one or two of my workbooks:

You can also join a more private conversation about hope over on my Patreon page, where I post several times per week on CHOOSING HOPE… because sometimes we just need to hear it from someone else. Amen?