Calling All Prayer Warriors!!!

I've been laying in bed for the last hour, recovering from a migraine and praying. I wasn't going to get up to write because of said migraine, but when the Lord tells you to move.... well, you move, right? So here I am.

I've written before about living by faith. It's a struggle, sometimes daily, to do so. Since October 2010.... well, really since December 2009, God has been teaching us to trust Him. You see, Ben was fired from a good paying job then. Exactly forty days later, he found another job, with a restaurant that ended up closing in October 2010. That job paid a lot less than the first one, and we learned how to make do, along with the blessings God sent our way periodically. They always happened at just the right time. After that restaurant closed, he started drawing unemployment and went back to school. As you may know, unemployment is a lot less money. So we learned to live on even less. God sent us more blessings, always at just the right time. We have trusted, some days probably not as much as we should, but still, we trusted. We sort of believed that the job situation would be resolved at just the right time, probably when unemployment ran out. Ben has been looking for a new job the entire time he's been going to school, but nothing has come up. He has actually come close to getting a job a couple of times, but for some reason or the other, it didn't happen. So we trusted, and kept believing that the new job would happen when unemployment ran out.

Well.... unemployment ran out about a month ago. He's been working a temporary part time job, but it ends next week and hasn't been enough to cover our basic needs. So here it is, a month past what we thought was going to be the big "Yay, God, thank you for bringing him a good job" moment. Our prayer for us tonight was a way to cover rent, which is due this week. Basically we need a miracle of epic proportions. We've prayed for direction and discernment in regards to what we are supposed to be doing but have yet to receive any kind of clarity.

It's a scary thing to think that we might be homeless in a week. However, we still trust. We know that He has a plan for us. We know that He will reveal that plan in His perfect timing. I think if you have been following my blogs, you know that the following two verses are ones we rest on:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

So we are resting heavily this week on the promise of those two verses. We know that He has a plan, and we know that He will reveal it. However, we need prayer support from our friends. As I am writing this, so many others whom I have been praying for also came to mind. I must admit to having a hard time praying for our needs when there are so many of my friends who have greater needs.

So here are their prayer needs as well......

Friend Number One needs prayer for her family and in particular her 20 year old son, who just moved to Springfield without a car, job, or home, in the hopes he can restart his life fresh in Jesus' care.

Friend Number Two's husband also lost his job. He has been laid off three times in the last ten or so years, and they are ready for a permanent position that will meet their needs.

Friend Number Three is three months behind on their mortgage payment, and are struggling to figure out what they are to do. They are also under a constant barrage of spiritual attacks by way of illnesses, stress, and other such problems. They need a respite from the enemy and answers on what their next step is!

Friend Number Four just lost custody of her children. She is going to school to make a better life for them and now has to pay child support too. She has no idea how she is going to make all the ends meet.

Friend Number Five's husband just left in a very hurtful fashion. He is under a direct spiritual attack, and satan is winning. She and her kids are struggling to stay afloat in a flood of emotional, spiritual and financial distress.

Friend Number Six just lost their three month old baby to SIDS. He was with a babysitter at the time, so the parents and babysitter as well as a host of family and friends need prayer.

Friend Number Seven just found out her parents may be divorcing after over thirty years of marriage. She herself has been divorced and is worried about the effects on her siblings and the grandchildren. Satan at work on another long term marriage.

Friend Number Eight is pregnant with her third child and is having some complications. She is actually due in a few weeks, but baby may be here sooner. Her oldest, who is seven, also has a strange knot on his cheek and they are having to see a specialist tomorrow to figure out what is going on.

So, all you prayer warriors out there, please pray. Pray for these friends, for us, and for your friends and family as well. We need to cover all of our friends, family and even those we don't know, with prayer. We need to fight the spiritual battles the only way that works: prayer and trust. All of us, together with our Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, can do battle and lessen satan's impact on our earthly world, simply by creating a united frontline of prayer.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Please leave comments with your own prayer requests. I, and the other readers, would be honored to lift your friends and family up as well.

Love the Sinner

Hate the sin, love the sinner. How many times have you heard that? Do you believe it? I know it's hard to do. We live in a world full of people who say,  "I hate....." The listed things are usually a person and not the sin. This is not living according to what the Bible says, which is:

Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:9-10

Do you know people who are sinning? Why, yes you do. No, not your neighbor, friend, etc.... Look in the mirror. You are a sinner. Too many people are so busy looking at what others are doing, they often miss their own sins. Matthew 7 talks about this:

Judge not, that you not be judged. For with the judgment you pronounce, you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

You see, we are all sinners. Every. Single. One. Of. Us. None of us have the right to judge others, because we all have our own logs to deal with. The only one who can judge us is blameless. He came to earth to take on our sins because we could not, and quite possibly would not, deal with them ourselves. He was sinless. He was perfect. We are not. We will struggle to love the sinner, but He loved us, in spite of our sins. He knew that we were unable to stop sinning, and He chose to love us anyway.

How dare we not do this simple thing? Love the sinner. Love everyone. Even those we judge not worthy. In His eyes, we are all worthy of love. He proved this by dying on the cross, for ALL of our sins: lust (porn, adultery, sexuality), gluttony (overeating), greed (love of money and possessions), sloth (laziness), wrath (rage, war), envy, and pride. NONE of us have the right to judge. Not one.

So.... love each other. Don't just pretend. Really love them. Do what God told us to do!!!

Graduation

Graduation. I am so not ready for this. I know, I've had eighteen years to prepare for this day, and I've known it was here all this year. Still. It's here, and I'm not ready.

I thought I would be. I've been excited, don't get me wrong. However, now that the day is here, I want to reverse the clock. I know that's not possible, so I guess I have to suck it up. I have to be ready for this. I have been praying about her and this, and God has given me some answers that hit me pretty hard.

Shelley is an amazing girl. She's tough, sweet, compassionate, loving... She has been through so much, and has turned out amazing. That's God at work in her life. You see, Shelley has me for a mom. If you are reading my posts, you already know that I was a messed up girl for a while. I made a lot of mistakes, with a child in tow. Stupid, stupid, stupid..... I know. I have worried that having me for a mom would mess her up. God showed me where He's been throughout her life, and how He's used my mistakes to create a wonderful young lady.

Here is Shelley's story:

She was born December 1993 to me, a 17 year old child. Her dad had gone to boot camp and flunked out. We broke up, and he started making some poor choices. However we put aside bad choices for the birth of our daughter. He was having some difficulties in his life and continued making bad choices. Those choices resulted in him being in and out of her life until she was 3, and then having no contact with her until she was 15. Shelley and I lived at my parents until she was 4, at which point I got married. Up until then, I was a mediocre mom. I did a great job (I think) of being a mom when I was home, but I also wanted to go out and be stupid. I did that a lot, and began the unhealthy relationship way that I would have for some time. Our marriage was not a fairy tale and ended very badly after only two years. The truth was the marriage was over almost before it began, and Shelley suffered from it. Then began four years of her mom making more stupid choices, having unhealthy relationships, and uncontrollable rage at times. We moved around a lot...around 20 times in her lifetime. We struggled to pay bills and I worked a lot of jobs that took me away from her. When we met Ben in 2004, her life changed completely. We had stability.... She had a dad who began to teach her so much, and a  mom who finally began to calm down.

This is what He has taught Shelley:

 Love everyone. Forgive, even when others tell you not to. Be strong, but flexible. I will help you when you falter.  Don't turn to drugs, alcohol and sex to fix what's wrong, turn to Me. Protect your heart. I have a husband picked out for you, and the men who are not him will only hurt your heart. Protect your chastity. It is a gift for your husband, and I created you to be together. A good man who follows me will love you as I have commanded. The things of this world are not important: nice cars, big houses, tons of cash. What matters is that you trust me to show you what I have planned for you. You love me enough to follow me through whatever the enemy throws at you. I will be there and I will protect you. You obey Me, even when you don't understand what I am asking of you. You continue to pray for your family, friends, and those you don't know but know they are in need. You continue to pray for strength, peace and discernment. You continue to pray for your husband up until and after I bring him to you. You teach your kids about Me. You continue to seek Me in everything, and I will bless you.

So my dear darling daughter, I pray for you every day. I pray for your future husband and children. I pray that you continue to seek our Father in everything that you do. I pray that you will continue on the amazing journey God has laid out for you, and that you do it with the same sweet strong nature you've always had. I cannot wait to see what He has laid before you. I know that He has planned something amazing, and that He will be with you every step of the way.  I will be here, praying hard, loving continually, cheering you on even when I have tears in my eyes. I am so proud of you. I am so happy that I didn't mess you up, and that God made you the wonderful person you are. I love you!!!