Stopping Self Protecting

A deep wound, a broken heart, disappointments, bitterness, and unforgiveness, can cause the heart to become hardened with time. It causes us to put up walls. Our defenses go up. We self-protect, we don’t let anyone in including God.  We are unable to trust.

Self-protection leaves us running on reserve and is the cause of intimacy issues and conflict in relationships. It seems that it’s easier to be hard than soft and vulnerable because we don’t want to get hurt. But you were not created to live that way. God made you to be tender and responsive especially to His touch. If you have developed a pattern of self-protection, there are reasons why. Get to the root. Let God tear the wall of separation and self-protection down from around your heart. We cannot truly live free unless we allow Jesus to become our Rock and our defense.

He Satisfies the Soul

 May The Lord satisfy, replenish and rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit.

May He hold you upright with His righteous hand and guide you beside eternal, living waters.

May the garden of your heart thrive, planted in a soil that is cultivated with truth, love, mercy and grace... And may He quench your thirsty soul with the regenerating power of The Holy Spirit.

John 4:14

but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

John 7:38

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.

Psalm 1:3

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither-- whatever they do prospers.

Jeremiah 17:8

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

Psalm 107:9

for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Isaiah 27:3

I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.

Isaiah 58:11

And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 49:10

...He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

Sufficient Grace

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for encouragement and truth in Your Word and Your promise of sufficient grace. I thank You for creating me the way I am and for showing me how to accept even my weaknesses...for this is where You fill in the gap with Your grace and Your power is magnified.

I pray for less of me and more of You....reveal to me new areas where I need refinement of character...sanctify me with Your Holy Spirit and maturate me spiritually, as You bring me from faith to faith...from glory to glory.

Show me Your Ways, Lord. Take all of me and shape me according to Your perfect will...partner with me today and every day, so that others will see You in me...all for Your glory and Your kingdom.

I praise You for Your redemptive gift of Christ so that I may freely receive grace and walk in freedom...in my true, authentic identity. Thank You for Your ongoing transformation in me and for bringing me to where I am today. I praise You, Lord, for all the ways You have chosen to bless me...and I pray that You will enable me to open up even more of my heart to the work of Your hands.

Keep me on Your lighted, anointed and ordained path for my life, Father...and thank You for Your comfort and grace when I lose my footing. I need You...I love You...and I fully trust Your plan and purpose for my life, which belongs to You alone.

I pray this all in Jesus Christ's Holy and Righteous Name,

Amen.

You Are Precious To Me

My Precious Daughter,

From the moment I formed you,  I loved you,  Even while you were not in a relationship with me, when you rejected me and living in the world, I loved you.

When you gave your life to me, I loved you.  When you walked away from me like the prodigal son, I loved you.When you hit bottom and could no longer continue, I met you there and loved you. When my voice penetrated your heart, and you were finally ready to surrender ALL of yourself to me, I loved you. I have never stopped loving you.

My heart breaks when yours does. I cry when you cry. I have heard all your prayers.  I understood when you were angry with me and questioned my whereabouts. Even though some of your choices came with terrible consequences, and it broke my heart to watch you endure the pain from your choices because I am your Father and I love you.  I discipline as a loving father, and I knew that you needed that pain to find your way back to me.

I am your comforter, and I protect you at all times. There is nothing that has kept me from you. When you ran from me, I ran after you. You are MINE, and I love everything about you because I made you. My purpose and plan for your life has never changed. I was just waiting patiently for you to really know me, not just in your head but deep in your heart where my truths are planted and rooted deeply in the soil of my unending love for you. Now they are.

I know you are ready to serve me with your whole heart. I will use your testimony and the gifts that I have given you to touch the hearts of many and draw many to Me, to help heal the broken hearts of my hurting daughters. Here is my hand, take it, and I will guide, equip and prepare you to do the work that I have started in you.

With Everything I AM, I love you!

Your Abba Father

#proverbs31 #abundantlife #lovedbygod 

Using Words Wisely

 The spoken word can have a powerful impact on the listener. Once spoken, our words are irreversible. They can bless or curse; heal or hurt; be gentle or incite anger; edify or tear down; be useful or destructive. Although we have no power over how our words are received, we do have stewardship over what we say...and how we say it.

The mighty Word of God says that the tongue is “a world of wickedness among the parts of the body,” that “death and life are in the power of the tongue,” and that “the one who guards his mouth preserves his life.” Our words have immense power! While righteous words are life-breathing, careless speech can have devastating consequences.

LORD God, help us to be quick to listen, slow to anger and slow to speak. Show us how to guard and tame our tongues. Bend our speech to be useful and gentle, seasoned with grace and wisdom. Lead us to speak truth in love...like honey to the soul of the recipient. Forgive us, LORD, for any unrighteousness we commit with our words; protect and heal us us from the careless words of others. Teach us how to utilize our words to bless, comfort and edify one another. Remind us always of the magnitude of our words, and let us be Holy Spirit led in all we do and say. In The Name of Jesus we pray...Amen!

Matthew 12:36

But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

James 3:5-6

In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest on fire. The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Colossians 4:6

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Psalm 49:3

My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.

Ecclesiastes 10:12

Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;

Proverbs 13:3

The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; The one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.

The LORD Is A Warrior!

God has a promise, purpose and plan for every sorrow surrendered to Him.

He redeems, restores and transforms every humbled and committed heart.

He appoints, anoints and equips every one of His precious children, according to their call.

He honors faith, trust and obedience with everlasting grace, peace, joy, mercy and strength.

He conquered the grave and is our Rock, Refuge, Savior and Deliverer. He is LORD over all, and His Name is Yahweh! And He is alive, eternal and always a warrior for those who call upon His Name! Hallelujah!

Exodus 15:3

The LORD is a warrior; The LORD is His name.

Psalm 24:8

Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.

Exodus 14:14

The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.

Psalm 86:10

For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.

Psalm 83:18

That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.

Exodus 15:6

Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power, Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.

Psalm 18:46

The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation.

Deuteronomy 32:4

The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.

2 Samuel 22:31

As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 29:11

The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.

Jeremiah 31:25

"For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes."

1 Corinthians 15:57

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

God’s Promise for Healing & Restoration

Lord, I worship You. You are my Lord and King, my precious Redeemer. There is no other God like You, entirely full of goodness, grace, and mercy. 

You heal us when we are brokenhearted and bandage our wounds. You build us up when we are weak in our soul. You are great and powerful  O Lord, and You understand all things, even what is in my heart.

Thank you that I don't have to live with sadness hurt or depression. Thank you that you have put gladness in my heart. This day I put on the Garment of Praise in exchange for the spirit of heaviness, and I glorify you as Lord of all.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,  to proclaim freedom for the captives  and release from darkness for the prisoners, to comfort all who mourn,  and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise  instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. “ 

Isaiah 61:1-3

“I waited patiently for the Lord, And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.”

Psalm 40:1-3 “Do you not know?  Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,  and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. “

Isaiah 40:28-31

 

Beauty for Ashes

Lord, I worship You. You are my Lord and King, my precious Redeemer. There is no other God like You, entirely full of goodness, grace, and mercy. 

You heal us when we are brokenhearted and bandage our wounds. You build us up when we are weak in our soul. You are great and powerful  O Lord, and You understand all things, even what is in my heart.

Thank you that I don't have to live with sadness hurt or depression. Thank you that you have put gladness in my heart. This day I put on the Garment of Praise in exchange for the spirit of heaviness, and I glorify you as Lord of all.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,  to proclaim freedom for the captives  and release from darkness for the prisoners, to comfort all who mourn,  and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise  instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. “ 

Isaiah 61:1-3

“I waited patiently for the Lord, And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.”

Psalm 40:1-3 “Do you not know?  Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary,  and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. “

Isaiah 40:28-31

#

His Compassions Never Fail

How merciful God is. He could look at our behavior and condemn us. He could read our mind and reject us. He could exact a thousand different punishments for all that we have done, but instead He has chosen to see us through the eyes of His unfailing love.

It is so hard to imagine what that really means. It is so foreign to the way we operate. We hold grudges, seek revenge, or at least try to get even. But not God. He does not give up on us. He sees us desperately in need of His grace.  And even when we are unlovely, thoroughly lost because of our willful disobedience, He shows us the way back.

What makes this so tragic is that we don’t really believe it. We still think we need to wear the mask of our false self. You know, the self that thinks it earns God’s approval. the self that tries to please God through vain attempts at righteousness.

Today throw the mask away. You don’t need it. God sees you through His unfailing love, and He loves what He sees.  As we go forth, commit to accepting His love and let Him direct your path.

Lamentations 3:22-24

The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies, we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, "The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!" (NSAB)

1 Peter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (NIV)

Psalm 25:7-8

“Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O LORD. The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.” (NLT)

 

Never Broken!

 As believers, the treasury of God's Word and the indwelling of The Holy Spirit enables us to endure the valleys of life with unshakeable confidence and peace.

Just as Paul, we know that regardless of the hardships we may face in this world, we will rise up and endure. We are sustained by the omniscient source of our faith and the power of His grace.

Take heart, for He who is in us is greater than anything in this world! (1 John 4:4)

God is our very present refuge and strength in troubled times! (Psalm 46:1)

We will endure because The Lord has promised He will sustain us to the end! (1 Corinthians 1:8)

His grace is always sufficient and His power is perfect, regardless of our weaknesses! (2 Corinthians 12:9)

May we rest assured in His embrace...hold fast to His truth and promises, and let them be a ballast to our souls.  We will surely survive even our dimmest days. For, by His grace, we are NEVER BROKEN!

2 Corinthians 4:17

For our light and temporary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that far outweighs our troubles.

Proverbs 24:16

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

Romans 8:18

I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.

1 Peter 5:10

And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.

Isaiah 40:31

Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

God Loved Us First

God is the author and originator of love. HE IS LOVE. It is because of His love that we exist and are also able to love.

There is absolutely nothing that can alter The Father's pure, authentic, unconditional love for His precious children. He will never leave or forsake us. His love cannot be earned; the debt has already been paid in full. His love is based on Who He is, not who we are or what we do or think.

Choose His love. It is a holy, perfect, perpetual gift that guarantees grace and freedom. And it can be unwrapped every day...for eternity.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8

But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:10

For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!

1 John 4:9

This is how God's love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.

Romans 8:32

He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?

Romans 8:39

neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

.

Precious and Loved by God

If you knew how valuable and treasured you are, you would do all you can to lift others up when they are down, and not want to put them down or try to find fault with them.

If you knew how valuable and treasured you are, you would always encourage others and never discourage them.

If you knew how valuable and treasured you are, you would help people see beyond their present circumstances into a bright and shining future filled with hope because all of us have a bright and shining future anchored in the hope we have in Christ.

If you knew how valuable and treasured you are, you would see people through their brokenness and not their faults because that is how your beloved Father in heaven sees you.

If you knew how valuable and treasured you are, you would pray daily for others, especially the lost, and the unlovable who are seldom on anyone’s prayer list.  You would understand that hurting people hurt people and often lash out because they don’t know what to do with the pain they carry inside.

If you knew how valuable and treasured you are, you would know that it is impossible to love others unless you receive God’s love first. We love because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Precious child of the living God, when you know your value and worth in Jesus, you will go from a head knowledge relationship with the lover of your soul to a heart knowledge relationship overflowing with love, mercy, and grace that will freely pour out on others.

You are His treasure! Of so much worth! “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

.

 

Mighty In God

Let us surrender our our wayward thoughts and our carnal reasoning to The Father.

Let us embrace His Eternal Truth, His Perfect Way and His Everlasting Light.

Let us armor up and call upon The Power of God for a mindset fixed on Him...rebuke in Christ's Name the power and influence of the enemy in our thoughts...and claim the victory of an enlightened soul and spirit in The Name of Jesus!

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)

And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. (1 John 3:3)

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5)

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Beautiful In His Timing

Heavenly Father,

We know we cannot possibly fathom all that You are or all You have done...but we sing praises to You, Lord...for You have sealed us in Your Book of Life and set Eternity in our hearts.

All great and mighty things are by Your hand, Father, and all is made beautiful in Your time. Although we cannot grasp every detail of Your plan from beginning to end, we are grateful for the divine purpose you’ve carved into our hearts, and the longing that only Jesus can satisfy.

Your greatness is immeasurable, precious Father, yet You have ordained and anointed us to be reconciled unto You. We praise You, Father, for clothing us with Your garment of salvation and adorning us with Your robe of righteousness, as You prepare us as a bride adorned for her husband. We know we aren’t worthy, but pray for your ongoing sanctification and transformation as we prepare for Your Glory!

We give You all the glory, honor, and praise for this marvelous miracle of salvation and our eternal future!

In Jesus Christ's Holy and Righteous Name,

Amen!

1 Corinthians 8:3

But the one who loves God is known by God.

Psalm 139:16

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.

Song of Solomon 4:12

My sister, my bride, you are a garden locked up, a spring enclosed, a fountain sealed.

Revelation 19:7

Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.

Revelation 21:2

I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Daniel 2:44

In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever.

Matthew 24:36

No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Isaiah 61:10-11

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden enables seed to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.…

Daniel 4:3

How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.

Psalm 145:3

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can

Romans 11:33

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

Ephesians 3:21

to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Romans 11:36

For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Prayer for Healing the Wounds of the Heart

Heavenly Father,

You know the wounds that are in my heart….the lies, the faulty thinking, the fear, the sorrow left over from the hurts of my past.

I give them all to you and ask that you would heal me and release me from all emotional strongholds hindering me from experiencing the fullness of your love and grace.

I choose to live in Hope even when I feel hopeless. I will not harbor hate even when I am ignored. I will live with Your peace even when I am rejected.

I will love with Your love even when I am scorned. I will pray with Your heart even for those who hurt me. I will forgive with Your grace even when I’m betrayed.

I won’t focus on fear, for I know You are faithful. I won’t let heartache reign; I’ll move forward with faith.

I will stand on your Truth no matter the circumstances because I know that Your love never fails.

“I will give you back your health and heal your wounds,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 30:17

“The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.”

Psalm 41:3

“Lord, help!’ they cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them. snatching them from the door of death.”

Psalm 107:19-20

“And He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.’ 

“Mark 5:34

The Lord Is With You

Do not be afraid. God will not allow the enemy to swallow you up. You are a child of the Living God. He will deliver you, honor you, and will be glorified through you.  God is faithful. Even your enemies will see His power. .

He will keep you in sickness, and in death. He will be your comfort. He will walk you through the valley, and you will fear no shadow. Hold on to His promises.

Like a compass on a ship set your course and find your way by the promises of God. They will lead you, comfort you, and guide you through the most treacherous path. They will give you direction and wisdom and open up your own understanding to His inerrant Word.

Study God’s Word. It abounds with nuggets of courage. It will strengthen you and help you, and fill you with everlasting life and peace.

Matthew 6:13

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

1 Corinthians 1:9

God, who has called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Deuteronomy 7:9

Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments.