There are often debates on whether Christians even need to read the Old Testament, since the New Testament applies to us.

I was reading some commentary and loved this thought. “As we read the Old Testament, and the tragic events in Israel’s history, we must see ourselves in the mirror of their experiences”. I love that.

God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His character and end plan has not waivered. So often there are circles or cycles where Gods people serve Him and then they loose focus and serve other Gods: self, material, a person, a job, hatred, jealousy……………

God loves his children so much He lures them back with his love. Many times we return back because of our bad choices; when we find ourselves in a place where we cant fix it or we are “at our bottom”. We can learn from the patterns and behavior of others. We can see history repeat itself and prophecy play itself out.
 
 “As we read the Old Testament, and the tragic events in Israel’s history, we must see ourselves in the mirror of their experiences”.

My dear friends daughter is got married this week and she had ask me to cover her and her marriage in prayer. As I read her petitions to the Lord, I thought wow- this is a prayer we should all pray!

So I picked some of the key promises and desires out for you to pray ,out loud, over yourself your marriage and your children.

Father, Keep my eyes fixed on you; so that I will desire to walk in obedience and carry out the tasks you have assigned to me.

Father create in me a desire to be more like you: Loving others, forgiving and walking in faith.

Thank You that you bless and multiply me and delight in showering me with your blessings.

Help me to rest and receive your Sabbath day rest and your hand of multiplication; it is not I, but you Father that is the multiplier.

I delight in giving tithes and offerings; these acts draw me unto you. The show my allegiance to you, my King.

Thank you that you are my source and I can come boldly to the throne of grace; because of the blood of Jesus I walk in freedom and forgiveness.

I am committed to the calling that you have placed on my heart and will look at discipline as an act of love thru instruction that grows and completes the work you started in me until you return.

Help me to make long-term decisions that are pleasing unto you. Let me not be of this world but established in your kingdom.

Send godly mentors to equip me in my walk, so that it will glorify you our mighty Father and King

Amen.


“Complacency or excellence”

 
2 Kings 13:18Then he said, "Take the arrows," and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, "Strike the ground," and he struck it three times and stopped. 19So the man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times."

Have there been times where you heard something and then maybe a day or two later your in a conversation, and that same topic comes up? Often, that’s how the Lord speaks; he uses people and circumstances. If we keep hearing something repeatedly, we should pay attention.

This scripture spoke volumes to me this week. I kept hearing:

"You should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck Aram until you would have destroyed it.

All I could think about is where in my life am I striking just to get by or striking a minimum?

God wants us to strike five or six times, so that whatever we are doing is complete and done with excellence.

So often we stop short and never reach our full potential or get the water park instead of Disney World.


Ask God to show you where you’re missing His full blessing.


Prayer: Father, show me where in my life I am striking three times, instead of five or where I have missed the mark. I ask for grace and courage to press through. I want all you have for me. Amen

It’s inside our relationships that wounds are revealed. Wounds are not always big things that happened in our past; like rape, loss of a parent or watching a parent being abuse and feeling helpless. Sometimes it can be small things that hurt us as a child, like: being made fun of in school, looking awkward during growth spurts, or being dropped as a friend;  and we get stuck there.

The root, of that place of pain, may create feelings of: helplessness or unworthiness, fear of abandonment or feeling unloved & unimportant.

These feelings play themselves out inside our relationships; unless we heal and choose not to be ruled by our emotions.

If you are feeling toxic emotions that are greater than the circumstance warrants, and your defenses arise; Do you find yourself:  retreating and not speaking or defending and blaming.                                                                                                                       

If you are in a reactive state, where you are in opposition verses coming together in unity, there is a need to heal.

*Step 1: REVEAL- Identify where the root of the emotion comes from.
            Ask yourself: Where did I first “feel” this emotion?
            That is where the healing work takes place.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, Luke 4:18

*Step 2-CONFESS or "own it" - Identify your age, where you where, who was there. Get a vivid picture of that place.
It helps to close your eyes and focus on the details then next, to journal the exact details. It’s inside these details that the clues reveal the root of the hurt.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse (HEAL) us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 KJV

            It maybe necessary to do this with a counselor so they can help walk you through this.

*Step 3: HEAL- Once you are aware of the hurt and who caused this, “Letting Go” and forgiveness work is necessary for you to be set free.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalms 147:3 NIV

I use letter writing, and then giving the letter to God. Forgiveness is a process. But it is a process you want to completely finish it. For your own freedom!

There are so many good recovery and healing books available. Be encouraged to find a tool to be set free from being ruled by emotion.

Unhealed wounds can “drive you to drink”, cause you to isolate or even push you into reactive behavior that is damaging to you and your relationships.

*Step 4: RESTORE: This step restores you to a healthier place for your current relationships. It often restores the brokenness in the original relationships; many times this work is done without ever talking to the other party (especially if there was abuse, it may NOT be necessary to talk with them; just imperative for you to be released from holding on to toxic feelings and hurt.)

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

Is it time for you to heal and “Let go” of toxic emotions and hurt that are holding you back from all God has for you?

Prayer:

Father, show me the areas in my life that you want to heal?  Reveal these places to me, so I can give them to you. Amen.