Prayer is one of my passions.  I know the power of prayer and it is by far the most important thing I do in a day.  It is my life line.  Having said all that let me share some thoughts with you about prayer that I hope will inspire you to become more passionate about your prayer time.

Just the other day, when out of the blue the thought came to me that Tiger Woods would return to the golf course soon.  At that time, I thought okay, I’ll say a little prayer for Mr. Woods, his family, his golf game, etc.  I didn’t think it strange at all that someone would come to my mind out of blue, I knew it was a prayer assignment, and quickly obeyed.  What I didn’t expect was the revelation of the Holy Spirit of the power of passions and prayer.

You have passions; and those passions are great areas for prayer assignments in your life.  You must recognize that God created EVERYTHING.  John tells us that in first chapter of his gospel and Paul magnificently reminds us of this fact in the 3rd chapter of Colossians.  God created everything, visible and invisible for himself and by himself.  He should be glorified in all things. He wants to be glorified in all things.  Believers who are committed to prayer can truly have a remarkable impact in the world—the entire world.   The diversity of our passions is a strategic move on the part of our all- knowing God to expand the kingdom.

Blessings to you,

MC

As our family prepares for our yearly spring break trip, I thought about our awesome  trip from last year and how God showed his miraculous power.  Today, I ‘ll share the story in hopes that it will remind you that God can do anything.

Last year, my family and I took our traditional spring break trip and it was great.  In addition to all the fun, food, and laughter, God demonstrated his incredible power and faithfulness in answering prayer. You see, just before we left for the airport, I decided to investigate the weather forecast at our destination.  To my dismay, the forecast was projected to be cold, rainy, and extremely windy.  The forecast was so bad that they were even warning travelers of possible flight delays.  With all that information, I breathed a very simple prayer (yes, for no rain), got in the car, and headed to the airport.

When we arrived it was cloudy but as we headed to the resort it got clearer and clearer.  In fact, each day of our vacation got better and better.  The forecasters begin to report that the warmth and sunshine was  unseasonable.  Everyday, we were extremely grateful and every day praised God for his provision.  We had a great week and enjoyed all the blessings of God.  It didn’t rain and our God ordained vacation went well; but, there was  something more.  As we got in the airport shuttle to head home it started to rain.  Honestly, I didn’t really notice, but my husband brought it to my attention.

Now, you might be thinking what’s so significant about that? God is in control.  He provides and he is faithful.  Whenever  our lives are  set to do his will and glorify him he makes abundant provision for us.  God’s will for our lives last week, was that we rest, recuperate, and connect as a family and nothing would be allowed to keep us from that— not even the rain.

Today, I pray that you will notice the provision of God in your life even in the small  things. Take a moment and acknowledge answered prayer.  Praise him for prayer answered above your request.  Becoming more aware of his presence and faithfulness in your life will only seek to give you greater confidence in his love for you.  Remember he can stop the rain!

Now unto him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all you ask or think according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.  Ephesians 3: 20-21

Blessings to you!

MC

It is the will of God that those who believe in him, rid themselves of anything that keeps them from a  life of liberty.  Anything that  hinders  complete demonstration of his power and glory.   Jesus came that we might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  Yet, there are times when we are not experiencing or demonstrating the abundant life that has been given.  The issue is not God’s desire for you.  It’s not in his power.  It’s not even in his provision.  But it lies at the heart of what we believe.  Belief shapes your action-What we believe truly effects our choices.  Ironically, sometimes we may not believe that there is spiritual dimension to what we are experience.  The fact is there is a spiritual dimension to everything and we must attack the things that hinder us not only in the natural realm but in the spiritual realm as well.

Naturally, a yoke is an instrument of bondage that brings animals under control to do work.  It is an instrument of servitude. Spiritually, a yoke has the same meaning; yet they are revealed through attitudes, ideas, beliefs, or behaviors.  Yokes limit the full realization of God power and presence in your life.  They weigh you down.  They are burdensome. Yokes can cause you to become frustrated.  In fact a yoke that is too grievous might cause you to give up.   But giving up is not the answer. God has positioned and given you the anointing to destroy every yoke in your life.  You must simply release it. How do you get free of attitudes, ideas, beliefs and behaviors that hinder you?

1.  Recognize that there is an issue that is keeping you stuck. Identify it honestly.  Don’t beat around the bush here or even blame others.  If it is procrastination.  It is fear of success or failure recognize.  If you are stuck because of a faulty belief system.  Recognize it.

2.  Acknowledge that this issue has caused you to miss the mark and must be conquered both spiritually and naturally.  This is tantamount to confession. Confession opens the door for strengthening and cleansing from God.

3.  Repent of the issue.  Repentance is an inward change of mind that produces an outward change in action.  Here is a key step.  To repent is not simply to be sorry but to come to a realization that your thoughts, ideas, and motivations surrounding an issue were not in line with God’s.  Then a deliberate choice is made to align your thinking, speaking, and actions with his.

4.  Pray. Communicate with God.  He knows your weaknesses and is ready to give you his strength.

5. Praise.  Continually give praises unto God.  This keeps you mind focused on his awesome ability, his faithfulness, and his power.

Today, rejoice in knowing that God desires greater liberty and effectivenss for your life.  Be willing to let go of idea, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that don’t contribute to your experience of abundant living and watch God plan unfold in your life.

Blessings to you,

MC