23Dec

Is God Really Able?

There are days when you just know that you know GOD IS ABLE.

 

You know those days when money is plentiful, your job is secure, the cupboards are overflowing, relationships are effortless, children are obedient, and your self worth is high.

 

Then the other days come. Such is life right? The days that have you questioning the One who said He would provide. The days when the One who said He’d never leave nor forsake you seems to be playing a game of hot peas and butter but you don’t seem to be getting closer, only colder, colder, and colder still.

 

How do we eradicate the spirit of doubt and activate our faith? How do we hold fast to the truth that God is able? We do it with a simple two-step: Prayer and Praise. Put on your garment of praise and shirk off the spirit of heaviness. Shod your feet in your gospel of peace shoes and get your praise on.

 

By prayer Peter was released from prison (Acts 12:5-17)

 

Through prayer and praise, Paul and Silas were delivered from prison (Acts 16:25-40)

 

[bctt tweet=”Even in the solitary spaces, God is able.” username=”inspiredfully”]

 

PRAY

 

God is able to do exceedingly abundantly for me

God is able to make all grace abound toward me

God is able to give me peace that surpasses all understanding

God is able to supply all my needs according to His riches in glory

God is able to make my enemies my footstool

 

PRAISE

 

My soul magnifies you Lord

My soul boasts in you Lord

My soul blesses you Lord

My soul delights in your Word

All my inmost being praises you Lord

 

With prayer and praise move the TRUTH from your head to your heart…

 

GOD IS ABLE!

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News Purposeful Faith, Mommy Moments, Grace & Truth

08Dec

Listen Up

One then done!

Maybe two then I’m through!

 

Those were my plans as related to having children. I’ve always liked kids but when I envisioned family life it revolved around my husband and me, our careers and perhaps a child or two. That was until I heard Him say, “Your womb belongs to me.”

 

The birth of my first child was a carefully calculated event. Like everything else in my life at the time, having a baby was placed into a little box of my own making. I was used to meticulously planning every facet of my life. Throw in my professional training of facilitating time management courses and it made for a well-plotted life.

 

That was until baby number two came outside of the plan. You see, my plans were written in ink and not pencil. As a new believer, I hadn’t learned Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” My veneer of planning and control had been cracked and out oozed fragility and vulnerability. As I came undone, I clung fiercely to my new faith, praying for answers.

 

And the answers came. God showed me that He loved me just as I was. He taught me that my works wouldn’t get me into heaven. He modeled for me how to love and accept others. And He was very clear that discipleship was a high calling. I understood very early in my Christian walk that He seeks for believers to be wholly committed and that’s what I intended to do. Yes, that’s what I intended to do, until He called me to do something that made no sense at all.

 

Join me over on Katie M. Reid’s blog as I share what God revealed to me, as part of the Listen Close, Listen Well series…

05Dec

A War Room Prayer For Our Daughters

Being a parent is not for the faint of heart. From watching a newborn’s chest rise and fall so you can confirm breathing to staying up late waiting for a teen to return home, being a parent can leave you sick with worry. Fear, anxiety and guilt can become permanent house guests if you’re not careful. But we are careful parents who do not let seeds of doubt and deception take root. We are parents who fiercely hold fast to the TRUTH.

 

While we may not have ALL the answers in parenting, we do have THE answer. And the answer is PRAYER. [bctt tweet=”The single most effective thing we can do as parents is to pray for our children” username=”inspiredfully”] I’ve fervently poured my heart out for our sons and you can read that HERE. Now let us bombard heaven on behalf of our daughters.

 

Lord,

 

You are a good good Father. You are the Good Shepherd who guides and protects us and our children. Thank you Holy Spirit for teaching us and leading us into all truth. And it is only by your power and revelation that we can effectively parent our daughters. So Lord I thank you that you see each of our daughters. You are intimately acquainted with everything concerning them for you knew them even before we did and you sent them for a time such as this. Thank you for trusting us to steward over these Proverbs 31 women in the making. Confirm for our girls that you love them with an everlasting love. If they’ve been wounded remind them that you see, that you care and that you are the balm that heals. Reassure them that they are the apple of your eye and a jewel in your crown. May they embrace their self-worth and see themselves clothed in beauty and splendor. May they seek to honor you in their temples by pursuing purity, eating right and exercising. May they be discerning like Abigail, knowing there is a time and a place for everything under the heavens. May they be judicious and wise like Deborah. Let our daughters be women of their word like Hannah. Through our own example, let us show them how to be hospitable like the Shunamite woman. Oh that they would have the faithfulness of Ruth and the courage of Esther. May they don obedience and gentleness as garments of praise. We thank you that your plans for them are for good and not evil. May they discover their purpose early and begin to walk in it at a young age. And when the lures of this world try to steal their attention, help them keep their minds staid on you. Lord let our daughters be cloaked in your favor. Above all, I pray they worship you all the days of their lives and dwell in your house forever.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

Happy to connect with these friends sharing the Good News Purposeful Faith, Mommy Moments

 

Photo Credit

04Dec

ALOUD, Give Him Praise!

Great Morning Inspired Life Family!

 

I’m just stopping in to invite you to rejoice with me today.  This morning as my eyes sprung open, my heart was flood with a song.  Stephen Hurd, the Director of Music and Arts at my church, The First Baptist Church of Glenarden, sings a song called Great Praise, (The War Cry). In the song he encourages us to give God great praise, ALOUD. YES, open your mouth and out loud give him your best praise. On this day the Nation has set aside to give thanks, be reminded that every second we have reason to give thanks.

~He woke you up this morning, THANK YOU!

~You can these words on the screen, THANK YOU!

 

~For the electronic device you’re holding to read this, THANK YOU!

 

~For your daily bread, THANK YOU!

 

~For the heat in your home, THANK YOU!

 

~For being loved, THANK YOU!

 

~Even for being hated on, THANK YOU!

 

~For running water, THANK YOU!

 

~For affliction that keeps you clinging to the Cross, THANK YOU!

 

~For laughter, THANK YOU!

 

~For every breath, THANK YOU!

 

[bctt tweet=”Any time is a good time to give the Lord not only a great praise but our BEST praise.” username=”inspiredfully”] He’s worthy.

May your day be spent basking in His infinite blessings.

As always, I pray you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

04Dec

A Fervent Prayer for Our Sons

Kissing boo-boos and giving hugs.

 

Teaching, guiding, correcting.

 

Checking homework.

 

Giving advice.

 

Crying, praying and more crying.

 

A parent’s work is never done. [bctt tweet=”The true work of parenting is not in what we say TO our children but in what we say TO GOD about them.” username=”inspiredfully”] I’ve been blessed with FOUR, yes 4 sons. Most days, I feel pretty adequate in meeting their temporal needs. It can get overwhelming though when I think about the magnitude of my assignment: to shepherd them as they discover and walk out God’s purposes and plans for their lives.

 

So whether you’ve got a son or a daughter (yup I‘ve got 2 girls also), the most effective thing we can do in parenting is to pray for them. So join me in a FERVENT prayer for our sons. Our young men have a charge from God to be strong and courageous. And we need them to be just that as they stand firm in their convictions to help heal our land.

 

Heavenly Father,

You are Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. You are the Creator of all, you see all and you know all. And I thank you God that you see our sons and you know them by name. You know every hair on their heads. You know their beginning from their end. Lord I pray that they will always pursue you with their whole hearts. As the deer pants for the water, may their souls long after you and YOU alone. I thank you that your plans for them are for good and not for evil, to give them a future and a hope. Lord I pray that you will keep them hidden under the shadow of your wing. I thank you that you’ve given your angels charge over them to protect them in all their ways. Lord I pray you grant them the wisdom of Solomon and the courage of Daniel. I pray they have the obedience of Abram and the faith of Joshua. I pray that they will walk with you like Enoch and be honorable like Joseph. Let our sons be a friend to you like David. Let them be filled with gentleness, love and compassion like you Jesus. May they love and respect their bodies and keep them holy and acceptable unto you. May they think critically, communicate clearly and solve problems help humanity. May they grow in wisdom and in stature in favor with you and with man. And may they walk in paths of righteousness for your namesake as you lead them in the way everlasting. Thank you Lord.

 

Amen

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

Happy to connect with friends sharing the Good News #LifeGivingLinkup, Mommy Moments, Purposeful Faith, Grace and Truth

 

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