Category Archives: Prayer

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/23/22

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Thank You, Father, for Your faithfulness to Yourself. You will not let Yourself down by failing one word of Your promises, proclamations and plans, for You cannot deny Yourself. And thank You for placing Your Holy Presence in me, proclaiming Your faithful alliance to me. We are wed in Holy Matrimony as one. You will not fail faithfulness to me, even when I fall from my faithfulness to You, for You cannot deny Yourself.

What a beautiful picture of a faithfulness that stands firm against temptation. Father, make all Your purposes, proclamations, and plans my own as well. Make this commitment to not fail myself, which would fail You, be my stance as well, so no temptation that fails Your purpose, proclamation, and plan will succeed in me. In Jesus, amen.

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭‬‬‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39:9‬ ‭‬‬

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/22/22

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Father, relational dynamics change. Many of those changes – good, bad, or indifferent – produce a type of death, bringing a grievous loss of some part of life as we know it, requiring us to await the sprouting seeds of new life. Relationship can be in jeopardy of dying at this point when the death of what once was is caused by a betrayal, a broken promise, deep hurt, etc.. Thank You for the times You led me to stick it out, wait on You, and see the glorious sprouting of renewal that brought personal growth, stronger love, increased commitment, deeper understanding, and relational longevity.

Father, I have learned that all such relational issues, even the good of such changes as the birth or marriage of a child, can bring a loss we must grieve if we are to let go the old and prepare for new things. These good things change the dynamics of life that causes loss on one end of a great gain on the other. How we deal with the loss will either break us, or make us stronger. Help us to realize our grieving hearts, and grieve well as we watch with earnest expectation and hope for new things to come. If we can’t let go of the past, we miss out on the present and jeopardize the future. Help us trust You more so we successfully transition through life. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/17/22

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‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:15-18‬ ‭‬‬

Father, the devotional author this morning prays, “I pray for my sisters who are faced with insecurities. We know that security is a basic need of women. For us to feel loved, we have to feel secure. But satan has a way of picking and poking at us where it hurts the most. …” Then she asks the question, “What are you most insecure about? Is it your looks? Your job? Being a wife or mother? Make a list of all your insecurities.”

Fear of lost opportunities is my security issue. Father, I know You led me to many, eternally productive opportunities and blessed me greatly to be part of Your Kingdom work, but in these days I look at several relationships that seem to be lesser and wonder what I missed.

Father, remove from me concerns from a past I can’t change and show me where to go from here so I don’t miss today by fretting over yesterdays.

Recognizing our insecurities, even listing them is one thing, but don’t let us stop with a list to fret over. Reveal the path ahead to freedom from these snares, for me and for my sisters and brothers in Christ. In Jesus, amen.

Quote from the devotional Clothed in Grace: You Are Loved.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/16/22

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Ephesians‬ ‭5:22-33‬ ‭‬‬

Father, thank You for my love relationship with Johnny. Thank You that he loves me in deep, abiding ways that satisfies my need. Help me, by Your grace, to respect him in ways that satisfy his needs. Help me…
R – Respond properly to him, Rejoice over his successes, and Recognize the good You’ve placed in him.
E – Edify that good, Encourage his strengths, and Exemplify him, following his lead and acting in tandem with him.
S – Set my heart to Satisfy his needs and desires as aligns with Your will and way, Satiate his needs above and beyond his expectations, Supplement him by being the helpmeet he needs as he needs help.
P – Set my heart to Protect his reputation by speaking highly of him, Promoting his good, and Proving him worthy of respect.
E – May I cooperate with You as You Establish him as a leader among men, Enhancing his strengths where I am able, working with You to Expand his borders of influence, and doing all I can to help Equip him for success.
C – Help my focus to Commune with him – listening fully with hearing ears and open heart, being careful to Communicate righteousness, truth, and love to him. May I practice Continence in my actions and reactions, adding strength to his own self-control and self-restraint, and lift my Countenance toward him in ways that lift his toward You.
T – make me faithful to Toast his successes and righteous effort, Tout his good, and be always available to help Tote his load, partnering with him throughout life.
In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/15/22

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“…Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:25-27, 29-32‬ ‭‬‬

Speaking truth in righteousness and with love, rightly using my tongue as honors You, is a constant topic for me with You, Lord. You tell my heart that my tongue is the pen of the Ready Writer. I trust You to accomplish that in evident, undeniable ways, and that each word You send through this tongue will reach ready hearers.

You have helped me break the cycle of gossip so greatly. You have taught me to keep hurts to myself so that I don’t inadvertently hurt the reputation of someone I profess to love. You’ve blessed me with trustworthy prayer partners who hold me to account and who love on those we pray for despite my pain. They know as I do that there are three sides to every relationship issue: “my perception”, “their perception”, and truth usually somewhere between the two. They encourage understanding truth, seeking restoration, and trusting You who know the truth of the matter.

Thank You for praying, accountability partners and friends. Thank You for grace and forgiveness. Thank You for love that prevails, does right despite wrong, refuses to hold a grudge: love that never fails. Thank You for helping me grow and change. I love You. Amen.

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20:19‬ ‭‬‬ ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:20‬ ‭‬‬

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/14/22

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“Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always); Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly]; Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭AMPC‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/8/1th.5.16-18.AMPC

Father God, thank You for teaching me the joy of a grateful heart. Thank you for instructing me to know that no one can take that joy from me, and that, even in grievous circumstances, the joy of a thankful heart flourishes, for that heart knows You. That heart believes the truth about You and Your faithfulness at all times. That heart trusts Your Word, believes Your promises, accepts Your ways, walks with You in earnest expectation and hope, knowing that You always work for the good of the one whose heart loves You and who is living a life that follows You with heart desire to fulfill Your purpose.

We can always give thanks from a truly grateful heart because You are the source and cause of our gratitude. It is You we give thanks for as we remember You in every circumstance, rejoicing over the potential and assurance of experiencing You in this life, through the troubling and the good. You never leave nor forsake us. You are for us and not against us. Even in hardship and tribulation, You grow us strong as we trust in You, making us ready for the fulfillment of Your purpose and plan, as You bring us to completion, made ready and adequately prepared for our Bridegroom and King. Thank You that You are always the one we can be grateful for in every circumstance.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for loving us all the way to the cross, and for showing us the way to take up our cross of obedience to God at all cost, and to daily follow You with every step committed to the Father’s will and way. Thank You for taking all sin onto Your shoulders and experiencing the turning back of God’s rejection for us, so we who believe and receive Your gift of eternal grace never have to know that fate. And thank You, Father, for loving us and desiring this Parent-child relationship so much that You gave Your only begotten Son to accomplish it. May we forever keep our eyes on You with grateful heart. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/13/22

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Torn and tattered, but still smiling.

What a beautiful mess. Thank You, Father, for the half inch of rain that allowed me to turn the sprinklers off last night. And even for the moisture from all that tiny hail that filled the lawn and crunched under my feet in last night’s video. What joy it is to step out into the beauty after the storm.

Thank You for the beauty after the storm and the picture of life carrying on that it gives. Thank You that out of destruction, much can be salvaged, and out of damage, strength reveals itself as restoration begins. Thank You for signs of Your protective cover.

Thank You that we can exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because Your love has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Thank You for Your faithfulness. I love You, Lord, and look forward to the future with You as we watch for the beauty You bring out of ashes.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5:3-5‬‬‬
Last night’s video.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/12/22

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Thank You that Your compassions fail not, and You, Abba-Father, lovingly discipline those You claim as a son or daughter. Your discipline proves our relationship with You as Father. I am grateful that You faithfully discipline me and I watch for Your loving hand that guides me on paths of righteousness for Your Name’s sake.

Father, it is true. You already know everything about us, so we can come to You humbly with each sin in our lives without fear of shocking You who already know, and we can earnestly seek Your forgiveness and grace knowing it is already there for us through Jesus Christ our Lord. He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life made for us by You who make a way where there is no way. You are faithful, so we need not fear.

However, I want more of You, so I ask for courage to truly humble myself and let You search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any evil, hurtful way in me and lead me in Your still more excellent ways. I know when I sincerely seek You to create in me a clean heart, You will shock me with the findings and amaze me with Your mercies made new every morning. In Jesus, make it so in me, I pray. Amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/7/22

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Father, my greatest desire is to honor You with my all. My “job” feels home bound and often mundane. Help me remember You in each day and every task. It is You who sees me. May I be found doing my best work in these day. Find me faithful, O God. To You be the glory. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/6/22

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Father, help my words and actions toward my kids and grands truly lift them to higher ground and help them know and trust You. Flow through me to truly love each one in righteousness and truth with Your everlasting love. Defeat the enemy who seeks to still, kill, and destroy family relationships. Grant wisdom to know when to speak or step in to take action, and when to hush, be still, know, and pray. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/5/22

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Father, thank You for instructing me in how to honor a parent who did not behave honorably in her parenting. Thank you for empowering forgiveness, granting love for her in Your name, and instructing me to live in such a way as honors You, making her look good as a parent. And thank You for helping me smile and not correct those who brag on how great she must have been. I thank You for helping me understand her own childhood pain and the struggle it caused her, snd her mental issues from that. And thank You for healing me daily. Forgive me my own failures as my childhood effected my way of parenting. Bless my children to be free and not carry familial issues to the next generations. May each generation experience greater deliverance and freedom from these generational issues. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/3/22

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Suitable: Appropriate to a purpose or an occasion. Capable of suiting; fitting; accordant; proper; becoming; agreeable; adapted. Having sufficient or the required properties for a certain purpose or task; appropriate to a certain occasion.

Father, thank You for my relationship with Johnny. Thank You for suiting us to each other for Your good purpose. We truly are suited to one another. Thank You for the work of grace You’ve done in each of us throughout our lives as one. Thank You for continuing that work of grace day by day. May we be Your instruments, revealing the unity, oneness, love, and grace You desire we have with You, as one thing marriage is purposed to accomplish is to provide a picture of all our relationship with You should be. Make us one as Father, Son, and Holy Presence are One. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/2/22

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The robbing of the Temple and everything being carried away to Babylon is heart breaking. The rebellion and hardened heart of God’s people is difficult to fathom. Even those who love and follow You can have blinded eyes and be dense in faith. Such hard hearted refusal of all Your glory is a robbing of Your temple, which You lovingly make to dwell in us. Father, reveal to me any area of my life that is hardened against You. Take out the heart of stone and grant me a heart of flesh, pliable, adapted, and yielded to You. In Jesus, amen.

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭25:8-21‬ ‭‬‬

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 7/1/22

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Father, by Your grace I stand and thrive most days. But my plate is full. Right now, anything else trying to get on my plate feels like a tsunami. It just overwhelms me and I struggle to enter Your rest. I am very tired. Thank You for the yoke of Christ. Help me cooperate with Your lead and trust the load to You. Help me rest my plate on Your wagon and trust You to fill it with good that brings You glory. And when I am overwhelmed, grant me peace with faith to trust You in the storm. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 6/30/22

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Father, Your love and grace amazes me, yet I’ve only touched the hem of it. I can’t wait for the face to face. Thank You for loving us Jesus-much. We are indeed blessed.

Father, I cry out for those yet to reach Your hem. Shine Your light and draw their reach to You. We need You to do that now, before it is too late. Bring about a great spiritual awakening as never before, and bring Your people into a life altering revival before love grows cold in these days when evil abounds.

I especially pray for children and grandchildren to the thousandth generation. By Your grace, as You have given utterance, I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved me may be in them, so they may know, receive, and possess Jesus for themselves. This I ask of You, Father, let not one of them perish. This is Your heart, too, according to Your Word. Thus I ask with trusting faith for You to have Your desire in these we so greatly love. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 6/29/22

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‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:10-11‬ ‭‬‬

I trust You to direct my path for Life, Father. You are my supply along the way and will walk me through to my destiny. You are faithful.

I look to You and You help me. You’re my Sunrise, my guiding Light, my help in need, my Shelter from the storm, my hope and song. You take my hand and lead me on, giving strength to all my need as we go. You are gracious.

By Your stripes, I am healed. In Your Presence, I stand. There is nothing too difficult for You, nothing beyond Your reach. You are able.

Because of You, I am safe, secure, amply supplied, and fully equipped for all You bring me to. Thank You, Father. Be glorified and magnified in and through me. In Jesus, amen.

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:18-20‬ ‭‬‬

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 6/28/22

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Father, thank You that You, knowing our frame, are mindful that we are but dust. We are Your creation, given breath, life, strength, and purpose by You. We can do nothing of eternal worth and true goodness apart from You. Only with You as our true supply of wisdom, direction, and power sourcing can we accomplish the work You prepared for us to do and succeed at fulfilling Your divine purpose and plan. You know how difficult it is for mere dust to maintain focus and not be blown off course by every wind.

Thank You for making The Way of redemption through The Truth of Christ, giving us The Life You desire we possess. He is our anchor that holds us, the wind of Your Spirit directing us on paths of righteousness, uprightness, and right standing with You, for Your Name’s sake, as pleases You. Thank You that our past is behind us, covered by Christ, and You use the lessons from it to bring us to a good end. May we not be stuck in the mud of dead dust. In Christ, we are free indeed.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 6/27/22

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Father God, thank You that You are with me and for me, You never leave nor forsake me. You are in my midst to make me stand as Your servant and not be moved from my position in Christ. You are The rock upon which I stand secure. Because Your mercies are new every morning and Your compassions fail not, You are faithful to help me when morning dawns and walk me through my days. I trust You who give me strength. Be strength for my weary bones this day and increase power to me for this day. Direct my path in righteousness for Your name’s sake, just as Your Word says You will. This is my hope, and You are my song. In Christ I pray, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer : 6/26/22

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‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:41-46‬ ‭‬‬

Father, some people say Jesus was in agony in the garden that night because of us. That is truth, but it’s way more than that. Jesus’ agony, from my understanding, is the knowledge that, for the first time ever, when all our sin came to His shoulders, His Father would turn His back to Him in utter rejection. He agonized the load of sin without the Father’s smile. Then He warned His disciples against falling to temptation. Why? Perhaps to spare us the experience of life with the Father’s smiling face taken from us as His back turns to us. Father, perish the thought! Protect me from temptation by causing Your smile to be my greatest desire. In Jesus, amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning prayer: 6/25/22

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Father, thank You for helping me learn how to better grow tomatoes and prune them with a focus on fruit bearing. A lot of limbs produce no fruit. They just grow, and their growth hinders and limits fruit production. I also learned that the plant’s purpose in fruit production is to make seed so it can make more plants that can produce fruit. Apparently, pruning causes the plant to think it is dying, so it must ramp up fruit production to be sure it has viable seed ready to go. Your creation is awesome. Thank You for understanding of how Your creation works so we can make wise use of all You give us. And Lord, thank You for pruning me so I can bear more good fruit with seed that You can use for Your glory. Please remove and cleanse me of anything that hinders and limits my fruit bearing, growth, and seed spreading. In Jesus…oh yeah. And thanks for the laugh at the look on hubby’s face when I snipped a bigger non-fruit bearing branch so a smaller one with fruit on could have supply for growth. It was priceless. Amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer: 6/24/22

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Father, thank You that You are a warrior, caring for us watchfully and caring about us affectionately. Draw near to us as we draw near to You in humbled submission, seeking Your face. We need You to show Yourself strong on our behalf, leading us and these we love on Your paths of righteousness for Your Name’s sake. Avenge Yourself on every foe that stands between us, our beloveds, and You. The days are evil, Lord. We watch with earnest expectation and hope of Your soon return, praying nothing and no one of value is left behind. No. Not one. For it is Your desire that none perish, but all come to repentance, enter right relationship with You, and fulfill Your purpose in them. In Jesus, make it so. Amen.

Holy Habitation, Prayer

Morning Prayer 3/25/22

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Father, You are my exceedingly great reward. Thank You for meeting my every need according to Your riches in glory as I focus myself on fully seeking You as my first, most vital need and necessity. My desire is for You. In finding You, all else is taken care of. I have no lack. Thank You, Lord, for meeting me at my greatest need. In Jesus, amen.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Prayer

God Looks Down

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“I trust in the Lord for protection. So why do you say to me, “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety! The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right. The foundations of law and order have collapsed. What can the righteous do?”” (Psalms 11:1-3 NLT)

The relational climate in our land is very troubling to me. From the heads of government down, we’re so busy fighting against each other that we can’t hear one another, much less find points of agreement. No outside enemy has to come against us to bring us down, for a house divided will quickly fall (Luke 11:17). But what better time for an enemy assault than when a people are too busy looking inward at each other to see out where an enemy lies in wait.

This passage of scripture asks, “What can the righteous do?”

Father, As the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, we can pray and seek Your face, Lord. Thank You that, as we humble ourselves before You, You hear from Heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land. In Jesus, let it be so.

When we humbly seek God, He opens ears to hear, eyes to see, minds to know with comprehension, and hearts to move in line with His will on righteous paths to unity and victory.

“God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God.” (Psalms 53:2 NLT)

Unity comes to those who stop yelling at each other and bow down to align heart, mind, thought, and desire with God and His way.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.”” (Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT)

What God did for Israel, He can and will do for us who follow His plan for finding and achieving His purpose.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Prayer

A Transforming Trip Through 2 Timothy – Part 3

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Kindle afresh the gift of God within you. Apparently, according to 2 Timothy 1:6, when the exuberance of our ministry and the gift of God in us is dulled, there is something we must do to rekindle that fire: that zeal. To even begin to understand what Paul is speaking of, we need to see the context of this verse.

“I am calling up memories of your sincere and unqualified faith, the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness, a faith that first lived permanently in the heart of your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am fully persuaded, dwells in you also. That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the gracious gift of God, the inner fire that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands with those of the elders at your ordination. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. Do not blush or be ashamed then, to testify to and for our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake, but with me take your share of the suffering to which the preaching of the Gospel may expose you, and do it in the power of God.” 2 Timothy 1:5-8 AMPC

Apparently seeing Paul’s experience of suffering for the faith, I’m sure coupled with his own experience of persecution, raised up a spirit of fear in Timothy that caused his faith to wax and wane, thus hindering the work of God’s Spirit in Him. We cannot tap into the power of God when fear and doubt get a grip.

Today, Beloved, we evaluate our ministry in Christ, our zeal of service and the fire of our gifting. Are we serving in the fullness God has for us, or has some fear, some hardship, or some worldly desire robbed our faith, our trust, our belief, thus dulling the work of the Spirit in us? Take time today to renew your commitment and flex those faith muscles that trust God for each step and every breath. Kindle afresh the gift of faith within you, the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but He has given us a spirit of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” (Vs. 7)

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Prayer

What to Do in the Long Night

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First Timothy 4:12 is vital instruction at any age, especially in a Long Night Season. A long night can leave a person feeling lost and without direction, not knowing what to do in the situation or in life. This is the answer! Pray these things.

“Let no one look down on you.” Job made it known to his friends that their opinion had no basis in truth. We must know ourselves before God, keeping His opinion in mind when accusation comes.

Continue to be a godly example in speech (the way we talk), conduct, LOVE, faith, and purity. When we don’t know what to do, do these things and we will come through shining like gold.

Believe! Cling to faith in Father. Know Him, trust His promises, take Him at His Word despite what eyes see, emotions say, and the deceptive heart feels.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Prayer

Protection in the Night

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The long night: it’s hard for me to see myself as being in a Long Night. I’ve been in a night of true darkness, but in this one, though I know the darkness threatening to overwhelm me, the Light is very near and dear. At the same time, I know of little more difficult than the threat to the life of a mate, except maybe the loss of a child. And being in a place to trust God while not knowing which way His healing will take gets long and can bring a deep weariness we don’t fully know how to handle. So God leads my heart in prayer today through song.

Today, as I cried out to God, needing His clear touch, He led me to Jericho my town while listening to my favorite worship playlist. Hitting the mix option, each song came in perfect order to minister to my heart and form my prayer in this night-watch. Now I thought God was changing the preplanned focus for today, but He isn’t.

Beloved, in the Dark Night Season, when we struggle to find the light God illumines all around that darkness, that is when we are most vulnerable to the lies and misdirection of the enemy that hides out in dark, waterless places. We can believe we are useless to God here. We can beat ourselves up for every flaw our deceived heart points to. We can blame self for every evil we see in our sphere of influence. We can forget that God is with us. Such struggles as these and more can make the dark, darker still. Today we pray for those in dark places to know the truth and be protected from the false.

Songs to pray through:

Still, by Hillary Scott

Glow in the Dark, by Jason Gray

Hope in Front of Me, by Danny Gokey

Scripture in context: 1 Timothy‬ ‭4:1-10‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Prayer

Possess Hope

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Good morning, Beloved. This verse came this morning in a daily verse email. Job, in His darkest hour, points his hope at The Savior. The story of God’s work in the life of a man called Job, in the oldest book in our scriptures, from my understanding, during one of the harshest recorded night seasons, remembers his greatest hope. In the midst of pointing fingers trying to shame him unrighteously, he remembers and points his friends to his redeemer and the assurance of His coming to us.

Job’s heartbroken wife, on the other hand, shows us the anger and bitterness that can grasp us in the midst of such horror when we lose or fail to possess that eternal perspective. “Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!”” Job‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Going through a night season is difficult enough without adding to it the loss of hope, along with the anger, bitterness, and anguish of hopelessness that makes a dark time darker still. Today we pray for those in a long night to cling to their hope, and for those around them to have the wisdom and ability to help them do that.

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Prayer

Speak out of a Discerning Heart

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Good morning, Beloved. Continuing our daily thought for prayer over long night seasons, today we pray for the encouragers, and for hearts of understanding.

This focal verse pictured turns my thoughts back to Job. A night season can come upon us because of something we do to open a door for it, or, like Job who was righteous before God, it can come at no fault of our own, but at some eternal purpose of God’s. Those are the most difficult to go through, because we can’t understand why God is allowing it. There is always something to learn of God there, a deeper level to go to in our relationship with God, but remembering that can be the challenge in the night. Such a seemingly faultless season is also, I believe, the most difficult to encourage or help someone get through.

Like Job’s friends, an encourager comes with hope of lifting up and helping, but our human brains have difficulty fathoming such hardship being without a trigger from the sufferer. God is Love. He wouldn’t allow such without provocation, right? We begin trying to find the reason by citing legalese to spark a light that brings discernment or spur a confession of heart, trying to get the sufferer to see a sin that we believe would have to be in play for such a punishment of God to come upon us. We too readily forget that it is not our place to convict; that is the work of God’s Spirit.

There are two things to realize for prayer here:

1. The heart is deceptive. The sufferer needs discernment of hidden sin that may be the culprit, yes. And the encourager needs to discern the heart of the Spirit so their words of encouragement work the purpose of God in our efforts. So pray for that discernment.

2. Understanding the situation is vital for sufferer and encourager. Thus we pray for understanding so our encouragement is righteous and truly uplifting, bringing the sufferer and the encourager to greater faith and stronger relationship with Father.

Passage in context: 1 Timothy‬ ‭1:5-7‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Devotional Series, Holy Habitation, Prayer

Perseverance for the Long Night Seasons

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As I seek the Father in continuing a daily thought for praying over those long night situations, He leads my heart to Paul’s letters to Timothy. Paul’s greeting in 1 Timothy begins our daily focus.

Beloved, our greatest need in long night issues is perseverance. To persevere in faith; in assurance of God’s love, care, and presence at work there; in determined purpose to remain faithful in focus, in living, in the practice of godliness, etc. These three works of God found in Paul’s greeting equip our success in perseverance.

– Grace – provides strength beyond our own in the wait, equipping and enabling our faithful perseverance .

– Mercy – covers us when we fail so that…

– Peace – that passages understanding prevails, protecting us from worry, fretting, anxiety, and the bad and desperate decisions such turmoil brings, leading us to unrest as we kick against goads and try to fix what God alone can fix.

Pray today for perseverance and for this resource of God that empowers our successful waiting-on-the-Lord.