Hey y’all! I hope and pray everybody’s doing great today! Not just “making it,” “fine,” “good,” or “straight,” but great, amazing, blessed, ecstatic!!! It’s such a beautiful blessing to be alive, to be able to breathe in the presence of God, to even be able to read or listen to these words at all. Y’all I’m so excited about this life God is gracing me to live and I hope you are excited about yours as well.
I opened my computer thinking that I was going to write about fundraising in order to provide you a more formal update, but as I sit in this room and think about how GREAT He’s been to me just this week, I can do nothing but praise His holy name. I feel compelled to encourage you to do the same. On Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015 several of my squad mates and I began the Daniel Fast with the primary aim being to pray for our upcoming mission work, the people and ministries we will come in contact with, and the radical transformation that God is going to do in and through us. I think all 40+ of us have personal things that we are believing God for as well. You know, it never fails that when we truly take a stand for the Kingdom the enemy gets scared and tries to distract us from the task/purpose at hand. The devil’s been working hard to catch us slipping in the first 4 days of this month. On Sunday, Courtney’s parents were in a fatal car accident – her dad died on the scene and her mother is in critical condition in the hospital. On Monday, at the exact same time as Courtney’s parents’ accident the day before, I had a car accident and my car was banged up pretty good in the front, BUT I walked away with no injuries. On Tuesday, Stephanie began treatment for a malignant tumor on her brain. We are all in serious spiritual warfare that only God can bring us through. It is not my prayer that God “miraculously delivers” us, rather that we will come forth stronger, greater than we were on Saturday, Jan. 31st. You see, I truly believe that He has been shaping and molding us on the Potter’s wheel for such a time as this, and that through this time of concentrated, intentional prayer and fasting we are being refined all the more for His glory!
The way Courtney’s father left this earth was tragic, and her mother has a long recovery road ahead of her. Has she thrown in the towel and given up on God? No.
The way my bank account is set up, can I afford to pay for the repairs my car needs? No. Am I worried about it? No.
The fact that Stephanie has to endure treatment for a tumor in her brain at such a young age sucks, quite frankly. Is she giving up on her hopes and dreams? No.
You have issues in your life that have the ability to cause you to lose faith, to turn back to your old ways because the fear of the unknown is great. Will you let your flesh override your spirit? I hope your answer is a resounding “NO!!!”
Instead, we stomp on the devil’s head screaming, “NO! IT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN, DEVIL!!!”
How and why can we do that with full confidence? Because our Daddy’s name is
- Jehovah Jireh, My Provider! – He is more than enough!
- Jehovah Rapha, the Lord that Heals! – By Christ’s stripes, we were healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
- El Shaddai, Lord God Almighty! – All power is in His hands.
- El Elyon, the Most High God! – No one can compare to Him.
- Jehovah Nissi, the Lord My Banner! – His banner over us is LOVE!
- Jehovah-Raah, the Lord My Shepherd! – He shall lead us in the way that we should go.
- Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is There! – Wherever you are, wherever 2 or more gather in His name, He shall be there also. (Matthew 18:20)
- El Olam, the Everlasting God! – Long after these circumstances come and go, He still will BE!
- Jehovah Shalom, the Lord is Peace!
Father, we lift our voices to You in praise and thanksgiving. We love you for being our Provider, Healer, Almighty power, above all others, for covering us, for leading, guiding, and protecting us, for showing out on our behalf when cry out to You, for being so amazing for all eternity, for being our Peace!!! Father God, thank You for creating us with purpose. Thank You for all the things and people you’ve used to bring us to this current place in You. Thank You for washing and cleansing us, for sacrificing Your one and only Beloved such that we might experience Your divine forgiveness and be in relationship with You. Thank You for the giving us the victory. Thank You for blessing us and keeping us. Thank You for precious agape love. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Lord, I thank You for Your magnificence! Thank You for the work that You are doing in and through my sisters and I, as well as our supporters and prayer partners, even now. Father, I have a heart of expectation that we shall come forth from this fast in 16 more days with a prayer life, faith, and testimony that are unimaginable; that we will be radically transformed for Your glory!
If you agree with me, then in Jesus’ most precious name say amen with me. AMEN!
Praise Him in advance because no weapon formed against us shall prosper!
