I have struggled in my quiet time this morning. Everything I was reading was just not touching the depths of my heart. I decided to pick up and review my notes from church yesterday, when it struck me.....
Yesterday, our Pastor challenged, well, he dared us..."double dog dared us" in fact, to stop whining and belly achin' over our President and pray for the man over the next 40 days! He also challenged us to carry a tract with us and share Jesus with one person in the next 40 days. I've been saved for a little over 10 years; I have never carried nor desired to carry a tract on me. I just simply like to share my story with people. I've always been uncomfortable when someone just walks up, hands me a tract and walks away... how impersonal can you get?! Now, I will get one, but instead of just "giving" it to someone half-hearted, I am praying for a person to give it to. I am going to pray that I would be able to share Jesus with someone that is hurting. I believe that is why the Lord has brought me through drugs, alcohol, sex, and now working on obesity....to share hope with the hurting. The scripture that helped me through my first few years of sobriety and growing and healing, Genesis 50:20, "What others (and sometimes that was myself) meant evil towards you, God meant for good, to bring about this present day...." Then in verse 21 the Bible says, "I will provide for you and your little ones." How comforting; how reassuring.
So, here is my personal challenge to you....
Stop moaning and groanin' and belly achin' over our President, and PRAY for the man! For me, personally, my thoughts... my God is bigger than President Obama. He's bigger than satan... so why should anyone be worried about our President? We don't have much...the downfall in the economy hasn't affected us terribly. Sure, my husband retirement has dropped bunches, but my thought, the Lord gave us that money, and I know that "NO GOOD THING WILL BE WITH HELD FROM US." I also know, that the only place in the Bible that God Himself tells us to challenge Him is in regards to money! I pray every time I tithe, and/or give an offering above our tithe, "Lord, this is my challenge. Meet the needs at hand." He does and I know He will continue to. The scripture that keeps coming to my mind this morning is 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." Woo hoo, hallelujah!!!!
Now, my second challenge to you is to share your testimony with someone. Not every testimony is the same. Some have been born and raised in church, never drank, drugged, or even thought about smoking a cigarette; but guess what... YOU STILL HAVE A TESTIMONY! The day Jesus Christ pulled you out of the fiery pit of hell is your testimony. Share it. Psalm 145. Go get your Bible right now and read it. I use the Hollman Christian Standard Bible. Throughout Psalm 145, over and over again we are told to "testify, testify, testify!" Pray that the Lord will put someone in your path over the next 40 days to share your story.
So, today, stop and pray for our, your, President. Pray that he would fall to his knees and cry out to Jesus. If he does that, and he truly seeks Him, I believe everything else will fall back into place. Besides, shouldn't our first response have been when he said we were not a "Christian" nation, to fall to our knees in repentance over our own lack of faith, our own lifestyles, and start praying and living as Christ calls us to live?!
Sigh...."Thank you Father for quickening my spirit to refresh the word You gave our Pastor yesterday. I pray for President Obama today, I pray for his wife and children today. Father I pray that You and You alone will become Lord of his life. I pray that our President will fall to his knees, to his face and cry out for mercy. Father, I pray You will show him that mercy, that you will intervene in his life that the transformation would be astounding! Now, Father, I pray that you will put someone in my path that needs Jesus today. I pray that You will give me the words to share, and the smile or a gentle touch on ones arm. Quicken my spirit Lord that I would be sensitive to what or who You would have me speak to. I thank you Jesus for pulling me out of the pit of despair. I thank you for the people you brought into my life that I watched and learned from. I love You Jesus, I give You all the praise and glory for what I know will be happening in the next 40 days! Hallelujah and Amen."
No comments:
Post a Comment