Intercession Begins With Self Examination

When we pray for others it is essential that we are not willing to pray for anyone to be corrected by "godly" wisdom unless we are willing to ask the Lord for us to be corrected the same way. For example, does so and so need patience? Than we should also be willing to ask the Lord to give us patience. Do we see someone who needs to have their heart softened? Does our heart also need to be softened? Do we see someone who needs wisdom? Can't we also use some wisdom?  Jesus tells us to do unto others as you  would have them do unto you. He also tells us not to judge lest we be also judged.  This is the beginning of true intercession. We can't possibly know what someone is going through or how we would respond unless we walk a mile in their shoes.

 

 

 

Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives.I give all people their due rewards,
according to what their actions deserve.”

 

Isaiah 55:9

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

 

Ps. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

 

This Means War!

Let's face it. Satan is a relentless foe. He wants us to fail. He wants to kill us and our endeavors and steal our peace and is always looking for ways to destroy us. He is the accuser. He is the father of lies and  most often uses people to get under our skin and create conflicts. It is important to remember though, that we are not fighting people, but rather the forces that control them.

 

 II Corinthians 10:3-4 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do.We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments

 

How the Shield of Faith Works

Those who've followed Jesus for just about any length of time know that we are in a constant state of battle. How many times a day is our faith challenged? How many times do we have fear or doubt?

 

One part of our armor is the shield of faith. If you've ever seen a sword fight in a movie or even a fencing match you will see that the shield is something that must be held and is in constant motion. The shield is used to block the opponents jabs.

 

Our "opponent" , Satan is constantly seeking to cause fear, worry and doubt. But using that shield of faith we win every time.

 

 When we are faced with fear or doubt hold onto that shield of faith with all of your strength and realize that faith comes through the hearing of the Word of God. That's exactly how Jesus handled it when Satan tempted Him in the dessert. He said, "It is written...!"

 

Proverbs 30:5 Every Word of God is flawless, He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. (Emphasis mine)

 

 

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

*The book of Proverbs is a treasure trove of wisdom and conduct.  I use it as a devotion frequently as there is one chapter for every day of the month!

 

You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks....Or Can You?

Anyone who owns a dachshund can tell you they are stubborn and difficult to train. However, they are also very bright, affectionate, loyal companions, and... highly food motivated! They love to be rewarded for good behavior! Just like people though, they can get set in their ways and training is an ongoing process. Sometimes the training methods have to be changed. They get bored very easily.

We as people can get very set in our own ways. We do it physically, emotionally and spiritually. We get bored and to be honest we can get lazy. Then the Lord may have to change up some different situations and allow us to go through different kinds of trials. But we should not be discouraged. Today is a new day with new lessons and new mercies!

We can only grow in the Lord if we pray and take in the Word. We must rely on the Holy Spirit to continually feed us and fuel us. But consider how much He wants to reward us! He loves us! Oh how He loves us!

Daschund praying



Lamintations 3:22-23  Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning;  Great is Your faithfulness.

James 1:2-3

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

What's Your Motivation?

Okay I will admit it. It frightens me to drive on the interstate. But in order to get to my daughter's house, drive on the interstate I must. Today I left during rush hour. As I listened to the traffic reports there were multiple crashes right in the direction I was heading. So...I chickened out and got on a road I was familiar with and began to pray.  I told the Lord I was afraid and confused. What route should I take? Then a thought popped into my head,"What motivated you to change your route in the first place?" Fear. The entrance to the interstate kept catching my eye and since I'd already asked the Lord for direction, I took it. Yes it was congested. Yes it was slow at times. But something was different. I had peace and I knew I had followed the Lord in faith.

The point is sometimes  fear is our motivation to change courses. When that happens perhaps what is best is to slow down and pray. Then trust the Lord to answer you and give you direction and peace.


Romans 14:23(b.) But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. (emphasis mine)

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Dangers of Spouting Off

 When I am in a hurry I tend to pour the water into my coffee maker fast. Invariably it ends up spilling water all over the counter top, creating a mess. It finally occured to me why that is. The spout on the caraffe is pretty narrow and it can't handle that sudden rush of water. And the same holds when pouring the coffee, only then it's hot!

Anger is like that.  We can get so angry and upset that we end up saying things that we are sorry for later. Sometimes the mess can be cleaned up. Sometimes it can't.





Proverbs 14:29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

Proverbs 18:19 An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city.
Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.

Proverbs 29:11 Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.

The Divine Coupon

I have to confess I am not a coupon user. Oh I know coupons would save me money. I just never bother with them. And I guess that may be the reason why I struggle with the term, "Redeemer".  But I have pondered often about it. I think by the Lord's grace I'm beginning to understand the concept.

When we redeem a coupon in essence that coupon reduces the cost of the item purchased. Just think about how many coupons are used! And each person uses different ones, tailored to their personal needs and wants.

Jesus is our Redeemer! He went before us to pay the price of our soul, spirit, mind and heart! But there is more! He knows each of us by name. He knows what we need and even what we what would be blessed to receive. He gives each of us spiritual and natural talents. 

He loves us O how He loves us! His mercies are new every morning!



Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.


Matthew 7:11

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!     John 16:23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.