Your Faith Has Made You Well

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

A prayer for restoration of peace...

LORD God,

I pray that today and every day Your peace will rule my heart...

I ask Your forgiveness for the things I have allowed to steal my peace - envy, guilt, self-centeredness, pride, bitterness, fear, and doubt. I choose to unite with You, to put away these things, and replace them with Your Fruits of The Spirit...

Father, I surrender my mind, will, emotion, and conduct to You, and pray that The Prince of Peace will reign supremely in my heart. In The Name of Jesus, I ask for deliverance and strength to resist the enemy in his desire to wreak havoc on my emotions and thought life. I pray for discernment of Your Will and Truth, and I invite You in to purify my heart and sustain me as I keep my thoughts captive in Christ...

When I feel violated, I will forgive;

When I feel envious, I will edify and bless;

When I feel bitter or resentful, I will extend love and grace;

When I feel the need to vindicate, I will show mercy;

When I am afraid, I will be faithful and trust in You;

When I am skeptical, I will cling to Your Truth;

When I feel prideful, self-centered, or a need to control, I will surrender to Your Will;

When I feel guilt or shame, I will seek Your forgiveness and remember there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

I thank You and praise You, Father, for the comfort of Your promises and Your gift of eternal peace. I pray that today and every day I will walk in the peace I am called to and honor You in my thoughts and actions. .

In The Name of Jesus, my precious and beautiful Savior, I pray these things,

Amen!

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Colossians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Romans 14:19 

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

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Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Eternal Rock

Abba God,

I pray that today and every day You will teach us how to replace our fears with faith...

That we will cast our anxieties, fears, doubts and uncertainties upon You and allow Your Perfect Love to drive out those feelings that are not born of The Holy Spirit....that we will surrender our troubles to You, our Holy Heavenly Father, who is ALWAYS GREATER than any rejection, failure, criticism, emotion or enemy we may face today or tomorrow.

I pray that we will grow an enormous and abundant faith in You, an all-knowing, ever-present, always-loving God and walk in the confidence and sound mind that comes from knowing who You Are...that our trust in You will produce in us a faith that will motivate us to just let go of the things that hold us back, give them to you and receive peace beyond measure in our hearts and minds.

I pray that we will cling to Your Truth and Your Promises and find refuge in You when we encounter dark valleys in our days, seasons and lives...place our trust in You, our Tower of Strength, for You Are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and You have repeatedly assured us that You are for us and will protect us.

Father, we thank You and praise You for Your Grace, Love, Mercy and Sovereign Protection in our lives! We thank You for the atoning Sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, so that we may be reconciled unto You...for our adoption and citizenship in Your Kingdom...for the security, peace and comfort that You provide in our authentic identity in Christ!

In Jesus Christ's Holy, Righteous Name...Amen!

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.

John 8:36

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

1 Peter 5:7

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

I Will Not Be Shaken

Regardless of what you may be facing today, place your trust in the Fortress of hope, and you will not be shaken.

God is the giver and foundation of your faith. He is the author of salvation and eternal life. He commands all things seen and unseen. He provides the promise of an abundant life and desires to fulfill that for you. He has the omniscient ability to untangle the snares of adversity and part the stormy sea. He alone knows the path to peace.

He has a plan for your life, including all the seemingly impossible predicaments. Trust God. Surrender it to Him with unwavering faith. Pray without ceasing. Open your heart to receive how He may want to heal and instruct you, hone your character and strengthen your faith. God is certainly able to bring you through it with an awesome testimony of His greatness, all for His glory.

Just let your soul rest in Him, for He is the unlimited source of your help, hope, peace, comfort and strength. 

And remember...at the end of the day, come what may, you have been promised eternity with Jesus.

Psalm 33:20

We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. .

Hebrews 10:36

You need to persevere, so that after you have done God's will, you will receive what He has promised.

Psalm 37:39

The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

Romans 12:12

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, persistent in prayer.

Psalm 25:5

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.

Psalm 27:4

Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 62:5

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

Psalm 130:5

I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Are You Overwhelmed Today?

If you are overwhelmed today, if your circumstances are more than you can bear, be encouraged to cry out to Jesus -- to the Rock that is higher than you, and higher than all your problems.

He will deliver you. He will bring you to a place of strength and victory.

Father, many today are facing problems and situations that are beyond their understanding, beyond their capacity. I pray your Spirit will lead them this Day to Your Son, that they might find in Christ their strength, their deliverance, their health, and their peace.

In Jesus' Name, Amen!

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:2‬ 

‭ “And he said: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.”

II Samuel‬ ‭22:2-3 

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭62:5-8‬ ‭ 

“For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:31-33‬

Who Do You Say That I Am?

After seeing many miracles and sitting through many teachings, Jesus took his disciples up to Caesara Phillipi where behind Him was a valley of monuments and markings for pagan idol worship.  With that in the backdrop, He asked a question that went straight for their heart, “who do YOU say that I am?” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

This is not a theological question of sorts, really, it’s more of a personal question.  Think of it as a question removing all the noise and all the built up head knowledge, it’s time to get down to the brass tax of things.  Because this question applies to you and it applies to me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

“But who do you say that I am?” Matt. 16:15 CSB

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Praise You for You Are My Fortress

Heavenly Father,

We praise You for the promise of Your refuge and the covering of Your comfort...for the promise of Your balm on the broken hearted and crushed in spirit.

Lord, we claim the victory that we are never alone, never orphans...that You have prepared a way for us to dwell with You eternally...and we pray for Your guidance and protection in our temporary dwelling place.

Lord, we praise You that You are always near, and we call upon You in truth for healing in our hearts...in our homes...in our communities...in our world.

Lead us by still waters and bless us with strength and endurance; keep us on Your ordained and anointed path of light and love...and we praise You that because of Your plan, we have purpose !

Jesus, we need You every minute of every day! We pray for Your Kingdom...for You to remove all sorrow and wipe the tears from our eyes...for the day when every knee bows to You, Almighty Father God! For You are worthy!

Thank You, Lord, for deliverance and for making Your home in our hearts. Cleanse and purify us, according to Your will.

In The Name of Jesus Christ, our precious Savior, we praise You and pray these things,

Amen.

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.

Psalm 145:18

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

Psalm 73:28

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.

James 4:8(a)

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. .

Romans 14:11

It is written: "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God."

Revelations 21:4

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.

True Hope

Many people do not understand why their hope fails, yet in reality, their concept of hope is wrong. That’s why it is of utmost importance to know what true hope is. Christian hope is not dependent on another person, place or thing, but rather dependent on the Lord alone.

It’s not wishful thinking, vague longing, or trying to fulfill a dream, but rather is assured, unchangeable, and absolute.

It’s not determined by circumstances, surroundings, events, or abilities, but rather by what is already secure and promised. And it is not dependent on the stars, luck, or chance but has already been determined and settled in the heart and mind of God for our good and because of His unfailing love for us.

No human being or situation can fulfill all your deepest needs. Both people and situations change throughout our lives.

You may have days of feeling satisfied, but the satisfaction is temporary, the glimmer of hope fleeting. Only God can provide you with the love, acceptance, and security that at the end of the day is at the root of what our hearts are longing for. And God stands ready to meet your deepest inner needs. This is where our true source of hope is. This is His promise to us – Jesus the Anchor of our soul firm and steadfast. He will meet our deepest needs.

Are You Overwhelmed Today

If you are overwhelmed today, if your circumstances are more than you can bear, be encouraged to cry out to Jesus -- to the Rock that is higher than you, and higher than all your problems.

He will deliver you. He will bring you to a place of strength and victory.

Father, many today are facing problems and situations that are beyond their understanding, beyond their capacity. I pray your Spirit will lead them this Day to Your Son, that they might find in Christ their strength, their deliverance, their health, and their peace.

In Jesus' Name, Amen!

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:2‬ 

‭ “And he said: “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.”

II Samuel‬ ‭22:2-3 

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭62:5-8‬ ‭ 

“For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:31-33‬

Out of the Dark

He has a purpose in everything...He is so Sovereign and His care reaches deep into darkness to call us out into His marvelous light!

From a new perspective we are given new eyes...instead of giving man power over the outcome of circumstances -give God praise for His sovereignty. Instead of the blame, we place on ourselves or others-can we look up and see Gods perfect plan in it all? He will allow in His sovereignty what He could stop with His power but would we learn the same lessons? Or have such great revelation of Him?

Of course, we make bad decisions, other people make decisions that hurt us, break promises, abandon us, reject us, betrayed us because we are all just broken BUT what if God allowed these things to pull us out of the darkness we did not even see we were in?

What if this was part of His perfect plan to sanctify you? Sometimes we can't see the things in the dark room around that are going to hurt us, make us fall, or even intruders because we get so comfortable in there and our eyes adjust, so in His sovereignty He lets us fall to be restored from glory to glory.

He faithfully rescues us from that darkness by shining His light on everything harmful and pulls us out...He didn't want to see us fall down but the fall brought a cry from our pain to the throne and He faithfully answered. A cry to be rescued from the darkness. Now the cries turn to praise and thanksgiving that we are in His arms alone, as He picks us up and becomes our fortified refuge! He is sanctifying us all to Himself and removing everything that could potentially hurt us...Don't blame others for their decision, don't condemn yourself for yours...instead PROCLAIM THE PRAISES OF GOD for His decision to "CALL YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT".

God Doesn't Waste A Drop

Just close your eyes and picture for a moment...

Your tears cascading as precious jewels and being meticulously collected by the Abba Father as He watches you from Heaven on His Magnificent Throne...His heart grieving with you, mourning each and every tear with you...tenderly cleansing, healing and sanctifying you through each and every drop.

Could David's impression of our Lord be accurate? I believe so! This is in His Word for a reason! He longs for us to know the measure of His Love for us! He desires great intimacy and involvement in all areas of our lives; we just have to turn it over to Him.

When I read this, I am reminded and comforted that, through His Mercy and Love, He does not waste a single, solitary drop of our suffering. Through our trials and by His Grace, we can gain compassion, strength of character and revelation...if we partner with Him, we become more diverse in ways He can utilize us for His Glory!

Friends, I once cried for myself and my pitiful life, until I actually reached a point where I was so hardened that I could not cry at all. In His Mercy, He took my hand and showed me that He had collected and cried every tear with me. The tears came once again, this time in the form of renewal. And through all my unworthiness, He increased my compassion and love for Him, myself and humanity.

Take heed friends...He knows and feels your sorrow. Cry out to The Lord and ask Him to sanctify and restore you! And one day, He will wipe away ALL our tears...That is a promise! (Rev. 21:4)

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God Chooses the Broken

God uses us because of our flaws and mistakes, not in spite of them. Our imperfections and struggles create humility, and increase our dependence upon Him. As we travel towards our final destination, we are engaged in a transformative process of being made whole, and holy unto Him. Until that day, we should rest assured that His grace sufficiently fills in the gap; be grateful and rejoice that His power is made perfect in our weaknesses. Our human frailties remind us of our unending need for our precious Savior! Jesus is the Balm for brokenness, and He adorns the afflicted with salvation! We could never in our own efforts cleanse sufficiently to come before Him; but, He is faithful to meet us where we are - and HE does the cleansing and sanctification...HE makes all things new. Once we get a good look at Him up close, fully surrendered to His will and receiving the regenerating power of The Holy Spirit, our natural desire is to witness as appointed servants for The Kingdom of God. Arise, and receive your anointing! Claim your promised, imperishable crown of beauty for ashes, that The LORD your God may be glorified!

1 Corinthians 1:27-29

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Mark 2:17

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

II Corinthians 12:9-10 

And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

1 Timothy 1:15

This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.

Proverbs 22:4

The rewards of humility and the fear of the LORD are wealth and honor and life.

Ephesians 3:8

Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Acts 26:16

But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

Psalm 149:4

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.

Isaiah 61:10

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:3

to console the mourners in Zion--to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Fear Not

Some of us are natural warriors. Through our experiences and temperament, it is ingrained into our very fiber to fight when faced with adversity. Others choose to retreat...bury the feeling and run. Interestingly, these responses even mimic the physiologic design our Elohim created in us, known as “fight or flight.” Thus, whether it is a learned belief system or an involuntary response, when faced with fear we tend to either fight or run. However, The LORD has told us repeatedly to fear not...and fearlessness is achievable only if we are dependent upon Him.

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For those who fight, we have to remember The LORD is the mightiest of warriors. We think we’ve made it through some “stuff” and pride ourselves on being a strong person. But, this in itself is a weakness and a struggle. Self-reliance is not trusting God, and it prevents Him from pouring His fullness into us. HIS power is made perfect in our weakness. HE is the source of our strength. We are only conquerors through Christ! When we are dependent on God, Christ’s power will rest upon us. Living in self-reliance-warrior-mode is exhausting because we are fighting a battle we cannot win alone. The war, the battle, and the victory is His!

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Likewise, if we tend to bury and retreat, we never face the very things we are afraid of...so we continue to run. Nothing ever gets fully resolved. In essence, we never process through anything with Jesus, never receive healing, and never fully experience Grace. We should instead run to our Strong Tower of Strength, seek His refuge, and allow Him to cover us with His wing. We must retreat into His presence, not into ourselves, or (especially) into our own thinking. If we are not willing to confront issues with Jesus, like the “fighter,” we are self-reliant in carrying our burdens. We grow weary, exhausted, and debilitated as the weight accumulates. We become a prisoner in our own mind and never experience peace. The task is to take His yoke, hold our thoughts captive in Christ, and invite Him in to repair the wounds we have neglected due to fear.

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Rejoice, for Jesus is the Prince of peace! Perfect love casts away all fear.

WHAT'S BIGGER?

Your problems or your God?

What's bigger? A relationship that parted ways or the God who parted the Red Sea?

What's bigger? The people that are cursing you and throwing stones at you or the God who slayed a giant with a single pebble?

What's bigger? The fiery trial you are in or the God who when called on scorched His enemies with blazing flames from Heaven?

His word is full of revelation of His greatness and majesty. When we have the ability to see Him in His fullness, everything else seems to fade away. When you call on the magnified, glorified King of Kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and the Omega...then everything else looks a whole lot smaller. Magnify Him, let Him exalt Himself on High in your life, let Him display His power and glory and move you to Awe! Through the revelation of His character in His word and the manifestation of His presence and power in your life!

"Yours, O Lord, is the greatness,

The power and the glory,

The victory and the majesty;

For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours"- 1 Chronicles 29:11 .

Go ahead...call on Him... "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know"-Jeremiah 33:3

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I Will Call Upon You

 

Father, my heart is heavy. I feel like I have to carry the burden alone. Words like overwhelmed, distraught, exhausted seem to describe where I am. I am not sure how to let you carry my heavy load, so please show me how. Take it from me. Let me rest and be refreshed so that my heart won't be so heavy in the morning. In Jesus name. Amen.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 

"When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His 

voice." Deuteronomy 4:30

"For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock." Psalm 27:5

"In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You will answer me." Psalm 86:7

"When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him." Psalm 91:15

"In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came 

into His ears." Psalm 18:6

"About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the the other prosoners were listening  to them. Suddenly

 a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.… "Acts 16:25

"When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand." Psalm 37:24

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation." Psalm 68:19