Category: How To Pray For Others

God’s Sovereignty Over All Things

On By SonjaIn How To Pray For Others, Prayers For Life Changes, Prayers For New Beginnings9 Comments
I can’t take it any more!

This week I am studying the Book of Job with my 6:00 a.m. Bible Study Group.  And what an eye opener the under lying chapters have been!  If you are familiar with this Old Testament book, you know that Job was afflicted with body sores, and he lost all his wealth, family, livestock, and servants because of a Spiritual battle between God and Satan.  Even after all this devastation, his wife condemned him, too.

The reason for me to categorize this book as an eye opener is simply because as I examine my own life over these past years, I now realize that I have encountered many family members, friends, strangers, and associates that have expressed to me similar experiences that they have gone through that were like Job’s.  Of course, at the time, these people did not realize that they were paralleling a story from the Holy Bible, nor did I, at the time, connect the dots.

But two weeks ago, all of what I had been living through during those past few years when counseling others on this matter, came home to roost.  Without betraying a confidence, let me try to explain what happened.  A new friend of mine engaged me in an unsolicited conversation about my (…and I am quoting her) calm mannerism, quiet disposition, patience personified (because I love to work puzzles endlessly), always displaying an inviting smile and willingness to listen to everyone’s problems.  She went on to say that she wished that she, too, had some of those qualities.  But in continuing her assessment, she confided that she just can’t take it any more. She feels she has succumbed to life’s struggles. What is more, she has begun to take out her frustrations on others by speaking harshly to them and sometimes even hurling insults at herself and calling herself stupid and other bad names.

Oh, how her words pierced my heart, spirit, and soul.  And I wanted to take her in my arms to comfort her.  But I did not.  Instead, I gave her my undivided attention and began to speak softly to her with encouraging words.  I did not quote any scriptures or point her to our Lord because I did not…. know to whom I was dealing with.  And furthermore, we were in a public place where other people were now noticing us.  I did, however, get her to compose herself and offered up a quick prayer for reassurance.  We parted understanding that we would continue our discussion at another time.

Now, fast forward to the Book of Job! 

This week, as my bible study group came to Job chapters 6 and 7, I began to see my distraught friend in the life of Job.  These 2 chapters voice a bonified complaint by Job against God about life in general.  In his torment, Job is indicting God’s dealings with mankind.  Job is unaware that he was a pawn in a spiritual warfare conflict between God and Satan. So now you see why I could not engage my friend in a conversation about God’s sovereignty when she already seemed confused about why such a good God inflicts such misery on mere mortals.

Now that the Holy Spirit has heard my cries through prayers and supplications on her behalf, and has given me the examples and solutions experienced by Job’s predicament, I am better equipped to minister to her.  Please pray that the infusion and comfort of the Holy Spirit will be with me as I continue ministering to her and that she will profess her allegiance to the Holy One’ wisdom and her dependence, through faith, on the One who cares.

Dear Heavenly Father, I sincerely praise You for the weapon of the sword of the Spirit. For He points me to my Bible which I can use to resist all the attacks of the Evil One. Knowing that with your Word, it will bring about victory for all those who use it as a weapon to fight spiritual wars. Amen and Amen.

Scripture Lesson: “Remember Your word to Your servant, for You have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” Psalm 119:49-50

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Instilled Hope In A Desperate Situation

On By SonjaIn God's Heavenly Hosts, How To Pray For Others12 Comments

Image result for what was the name of the witch in the wizard of oz
The wicked witch of the West, Evillene

In the classic 1939 movie entitled, “The Wizard of Oz”, there is a famous line spoken by Evillene, the wicked witch of the West, that I am sure you have heard before. And I quote: “Don’t nobody bring me no bad news!”

Well, today, I wished I had posted that warning message on my door post because I received the most troubling news that sorely pieced my heart through and through. I received a phone call that a younger sibling of mine was diagnosed with leukemia.  I was devastated by this pronouncement and immediately sought spiritual comfort and guidance from the Holy Spirit. Instantly, I began to receive peace and reassurance that the Lord was with me.

I went into my library, sat down in front of my computer and implored the presence of the Holy Spirit to gracefully guide my thoughts and prickly fingers on the keyboard so that I could commence typing the divine messages He was forming in my mind to develop for my readers and followers of this week’s WordPress blog.

I paused just long enough to glance over at my book shelves, crammed full of Bible dictionaries, concordances, and books on how to pray for natural healing. I carefully selected a book whose subtitle was ‘effective prayers for body, soul and spirit’.

Under the section in the book on ‘leukemia’, the first suggestion was to pray for generational curses. I remembered from reading many chapters in the Old Testament that God did visit the curses of the parents (initially Adam and Eve) on their children for many generations to follow. But since I walk by faith and not by sight, the Holy Spirit guided me to the New Testament:

  • Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

So, God instilled hope in me and I received the assurance that any wrongs performed by my parents in days gone by are forgiven and I don’t have to burden my Deliverer with such a prayer over my sibling’s predicament. Why? Because he was freed from that curse as well.

Additional instructions in the healing book suggested that prayers for leukemia should also include that the seeker was to curse the root of the disease; to command any prions (distorted proteins) to dissolve and be discarded; to command that the bone marrow make the proper amount of white blood cells; and finally, to lead the patient in prayers of repentance for bitterness or unforgiveness, if necessary.

The Holy Spirit also brought to my attention the scriptures about the lady mentioned in Luke 8:40-48, who had an issue with blood. Once again, God instilled hope in my despair as I read verse 8:48.

  • Then he said to her. “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” This tender term that Jesus used was meant for both me and my sibling. For I know with a certainty that as a child and adult I have witnessed my sibling’s faith in God and as a wounded war veteran, he served honorably for his country.
Crop assistant supporting smiling patient in wheelchair during rehabilitation process
A prayer warrior laying hands on the sick.

So you see, when I was in a desperate situation, God instilled hope in me and He will also do the same for you. Therefore, don’t forget my friend, when a person stands in the gap for another as an intercessor, the Holy Spirit often reminds you that perhaps you can make a different if you turn your heart to Christ Jesus and faithfully lay your all on the alter. My prayer for you is to simply ask the Savior to help you, comfort strengthen and keep you. He is willing to help you. He will carry you through. Amen and Amen!

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Reigns Over Every Holiday

On By SonjaIn How To Pray For Others, Prayers About Superstitions, Prayers For Life Changes8 Comments
Woman next to a question mark

Do Christians know enough about the history of every holiday listed within a 12 month calendar and why it is celebrated?

The answer to the above question is…I doubt it! And I also don’t believe that anyone can provide scientific proof as to why most people believe that the number 13 is an unlucky number. Yet many office buildings do not have a 13th floor, nor do their elevators stop on the 13th floor; nor do brides want to get married on Friday the 13th; nor do society’s affluent schedule a dinner party for 13 guests! And as a former builder manager for a large automobile company, I personally had to accommodate many potential lessees who demanded that their leases be back dated if their closing date fell on a Friday the 13th.

Hog wash you say…Don’t be so naive! In a little more than a week from now, many Americans will be celebrating a very popular holiday which always falls on the 31st day of a particular month. It is highly possible that if you were to randomly ask ten people to name at least five annual holidays and recite why each one is celebrated, the majority of the participants would draw a blank after naming only three. Well, this week I engaged the Holy Spirit and inquired of Him if the holidays I celebrated or supported were in line with our Lord and Savior. This conversation came up because for some reason my mail box is filled daily with junk mail and also requests for financial donations from many familiar and unfamiliar charitable organizations. Also, very soon, little people will be going from door to door soliciting candy and other treats from their neighbors. (I don’t turn on the porch light.)

What’s a Christian senior living on a fixed income to do?

The scriptures I received from on High all referenced that holiday coming up which always falls on the 31st day of a particular month. I’m not certain why this was, but maybe because it is the most celebrated holiday that can penetrate the very fiber of a man’s inner spirit…especially as he or she ages and if they have become Christians. And after all, our God is a Jealous God and wants His children to be victorious over every phase of their lives. So, listed below are the ten scriptures I received that have blessed me and hopefully to fortify and strengthen you and your loved ones. Be my guests and take an imaginary walk through this beautiful fall scene and just think about the goodness of our Lord and commune with Him about anything for just a little while. My prayer for you is veiled in these ten scriptures which mostly relate to the 31st day of a particular month: for the record, let’s call that month “October”. I also did my research and got a better understanding of what that holiday stands for and how it originated centuries ago.

Scripture Lesson:

“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.”  1 Corinthians 10:21
“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”  Ephesians 5:11
“Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  1 Peter 5:8
“Test everything.  Hold on to the good.  Avoid every kind of evil.”  1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”  Isaiah 5:20
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  Ephesians 5:15-16
“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  James 4:7
“This is the verdict:  Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.    Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear his deeds will be exposed.”  John 3:19-20
“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.  However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”  Luke 10:19-20
“And give no opportunity to the devil.”  Ephesians 4:27

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Will Never Leave Or Forsake You!

On By SonjaIn How To Pray For Others, Prayers For Spiritual Growth, Prayers For StrengthLeave a comment
My kids wont listen to me…nobody listens to me any more! What am I to do?

Have you ever been brought down so low in life that your situation tempted you to beg, borrow, or steal?  What are you saying, sister blogger?  Are you saying that that was my moment of desperation whereby I thought God had left me?  Was that the time when I sincerely embraced ideas that God had struck me down in retribution of my sins?  Was that the occasion when my friends and loved ones were hurling all kinds of accusations at me and accusing me of engaging in unbecoming activities?  How did you know that surely there had been times in my life when I thought of ending it all?

How Did I Know???  Come on now! 

I know these things because if a person lives long enough, he or she will in variably experience life’s ups and downs that in several instances seems impossible to overcome.   Especially when you are trying to overcome them all by yourself.

The question you should be asking is how I can constructively manage these life-threatening situations.

Recounting a personal example:

Earlier this week I received a telephone call from a friend that not only surprised me but also lifted me up with her message.  She reported to me that for the longest time she had been prayerfully trying to encourage her adult children to reunite with the church and to restore their faith in God.  Although her children politely listened to her, they did nothing to align themselves with an organized institution of godly teaching.  And my friend had great despair that her adult children were setting a bad example for her grandchildren when it came to knowing God and his commandments.  (My friend had more than once shared with me that she thought God had left her and ignored her prayers that she offered up for her family.)

But on this day, my friend was calling me to share some great news concerning her oldest female grandchild we will call Mary.  Mary was a college graduate and had been working for the past 7 years at various jobs.  She called her grandmother to inform her that she had saved enough money to make a down payment on a newly constructed home in a suburb of her hometown.  Mary was giving praises to the Almighty God for being the instrument that had made all these things possible.  And the grandmother’s faith was revitalized in knowing that God had not forsaken her and the prayers that she was sending up for her family were being answered.

After hearing this great news, it took a moment for my friend and I to compose ourselves. Finally I said to her, my sister, I, too, was in prayer for you.  During the past few months, your contacts with me have been very sorrowful and I knew you were under some sort of strain.  I suspected they were growing pains that you had to bear for reasons between you and God.  After hearing such good news about your grandchild, you must have passed the test and are now reaping the rewards that come with patience, gentleness, self-control, kindness, love, joy, and peace. That represents that at all times you were in constant communication with the Holy Spirit but He was letting you do all the talking. Finally, you were at a place where peace and quietness took over.

Thanks be to God that you weathered the storm. For as you well know, our Lord and Savior will never leave or totally forsake you. All we have to do is to hold on to God’s unchanging hand.

My prayer for you and all under the sound of my voice:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for making Your work in me a ‘calling’ to be available, prepared and complete with intuition to be attuned to my fellowman’s life dilemmas. Not only to obey Your workings in order to gain Your favor, but to fortify the down-trodden, to lift up the heavy burdened and to restore the weak and weary back to Your loving arms. May I always have the fortitude to serve my Lord and Savior to the utmost and not merely man alone. Amen.

Scripture Lesson: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:10-13

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Dictated A Letter To My Son On Father’s Day

On By SonjaIn How To Pray For Others, Prayers For Life Changes2 Comments
Happy, Happy Father’s Day to my son, my son!

Dear Jason,

          Actually, you gave your mom the best Father’s Day gift the last time you both spoke on the phone the other evening.  You shared that early one morning after you awoke you turned over in bed and ‘Something’ led you to pick up the Bible and it opened to the story of young David fleeing from his oppressor, King Saul.

          You continued to share with her that when King Saul went into a cave to relieve himself, David tip-toed up behind Saul and cut off a portion of his garment.  Later that day in the re-telling of the story, you said David called to King Saul and told him of the opportunity he had to actually kill Saul.  David also showed the king his evidence of the cut-off piece of the king’s garment.  King Saul was shocked and agreed that David’s actions towards him were more honorable than the king’s actions toward David.

          What you did not realize, my son, is that as you ingested this bible story and as you retold it to me with such enthusiasm, you were living out a scripture written in James 1:25. “The man (Jason) who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues  to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”  {Emphases placed on the bold and underlined words.}

          Oh, how you blessed your mother with the sharing of God’s holy word.  And you admitted that the story meant a lot to you, too.  May you forever keep up your pursuit for godly wisdom, by looking into God’s word, practicing it and not forgetting it!  In all thy getting, get an understanding!!! (Prov. 4)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My humble prayer for all fathers everywhere…

Dear Heavenly Father and Deliverer of us all: First, and foremost, we thank you for your leadership and guidance through this trying world. We sincerely also thank you for the legacy of the written Word and the spirit-filled examples therein. We implore your forgiveness for our inherent ingratitude and for not always returning to you to give thanks. We graciously receive the understanding provided by your Holy Spirit as we seek to apply the life-lessons intended for our benefit that are related in the chapters of the bible.

Yes, King Saul was so jealous and bitter towards young David that he sought to kill him, BUT, you had other plans for David’s life. And you and you alone gave David the victory. I sincerely pray that whatever plans you have for other fathers in the world who are seeking after you and looking intently into the perfect law, that you will lead, guide and protect them until traveling days are done. That you will always find them doing the work of the Kingdom and not forgetting from where their help comes from.

I pray these words in the matchless Name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

Scripture Lesson: “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)

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Allowed Me To Enlighten Others Regarding Spiritual Things

On By SonjaIn How To Pray For Others, Prayers About God and Me3 Comments

This has been a strange week for me.  For some reason I feel more organized than usual.  I have also been more centered and grounded in my daily pursuits.  I have found myself thinking ahead and making a concerted effort to give only one emotional thought my undivided attention and concentration, instead of trying to resolve all the world’s problems in one day.   This week I have been free from frustrations and despair. Hallelujah!

I must confess (as the late soul singer
James Brown used to sing) ….
”I feel good. Doodah…doodah…doodah
…do!!” 

So, now that this week has just about come to an end (today is Friday), I want to pause in all my ‘doing’ and give thanks to how the Holy Spirit has organized my time and allowed me to ‘just be’ in the moment.  There is no doubt that the weekly instructions I am imparting to a few residents at my apartment building on mindfulness meditation are strengthening me, too.

Do you realize that most of us go throughout our day ‘doing’ a host of things that are merely filling a void of not ‘being’ organized.  And because we did not actually complete any of those tasks, they are still on our plates the next day.  This cycle is repeated day after day.  We never truly clear our minds of rehashed problems.  The sad part is that we expect certain situations to complete themselves based on our inadequacy or inability to resolve it in a timely fashion.

Because life is difficult, during this week, the Holy Spirit led 3 people to me to give spiritual advice to that could help them un-clutter their minds from the trials and tribulations of this world.  Thanks be to our Lord and Savior that my countenance and demeanor were free to receive their dilemmas.  As I reflected on how I assisted them, I soon realized that my response to each one was the same.

With the aide of the Holy Spirit, I reminded them that both the man Job in the Old Testament and Jesus, the Son of God, warned in the holy scriptures that man is born to endue trouble.  And because of that biblical truth, we can expect our share of difficulties. 

My first encounter was with a friend who had just experienced a car accident.  According to her recollection of the mishap, she was innocent because the pedestrian carelessly ‘walked‘ into the side of her car.  The second encounter was with a male friend who wanted me to justify his decision not to accept a volunteer leadership position while on a mission trip because God had only imparted to him to ‘become‘ a missionary and not an ‘unpaid‘ organizer with extra responsibilities. (His emphasis was on the word ‘unpaid’.) And the third encounter was with a female friend who felt ‘guilty‘ because she had made a promise and signed up to participate in something that required a small monetary contribution, but later reneged. She was seeking forgiveness.

While none of these incidents were earth-shattering to me, they were wrecking havoc on my friends. Therefore, I did not make lite of them. I listened with sympathy…AND…with putting all else aside, gave each one my undivided attention. I even inquired of them what else they were troubled with. And that question opened up another half-hour of discussion time. I tried to be encouraging and in the end gave them comfort in knowing that in the midst of all these difficulties, no matter how great or how small, they can depend on the fact our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has already overcome the world. That in spite of everything, they should look on the bright side because it is during hardships and difficult times that draws us more closely to God.

While praying for them, I also reminded them that trials and difficulties are good for us because they also help to nurture perseverance and strengthen our tenacity to grow in faith. Amen.

Scripture Lesson: I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

  

God Played a Joke On Me…He Gave Me An iPhone 11 for Mother’s Day

On By SonjaIn How To Pray For Others, Prayers About God and Me, Prayers For New Beginnings3 Comments
White Egg With Painted Face And Crown Of egLeaves
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 TNIV

It’s my fault.  I guess this time, I went too far.  Even in knowing that God is a God of his Word, I was still surprised and pleased when he allowed Jesus Christ to honor my latest prayer request.  And just as His promises are His bond, I put Him to the test…and asked for a brand-new Apple iPhone 11 for Mother’s Day!  And guess what, I received one!

My bio-logical son gifted me with this awesome piece of technology that can do everything, but bake a cake!

Also, while giving thanks for my marvelous gift that will soon have me stepping up to the plate as a ‘tech-key’, I ran across another one of Jesus’ parables in Matthew that will help me to witness to a dear friend who is experiencing some remorse as to the manner in which he spoke (or as he put it), berated one of his older sons for carelessly exposing other members of the family with Covid-19.  This friend spoke at length in a vehemently mannerism and indicated to me that he intends to continue the discussion with his son the next time he sees him.

Ouch!

At the time of this conversation with my friend, I was in no position to prayerfully witness to him, nor was he in any state of mind to receive any words from on High.  But after reading and meditating this week on the following Scripture passages, I will make a concerted effort to re-rehearse our earlier conversation and offer him, with the aide of the Holy Spirit, a more civil way to engage his son in conversation. For it is written in Matthew 7:1-6 TNIV:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person’s eye.” 

Now, let’s get back to my new iPhone 11.

This week, I am prayerfully asking you guys out there to send up a special partition for me and any other persons who have just received some sort of communication device that they will be using to lead or draw someone closer to Christ.  First pray over the instrument and dedicate it for the use of the Kingdom.  Rebuke all wicked and evil spirits from flooding the atmosphere, highways and byways with disruptions, confusions, misspoken words and gossip.  Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you to make a concerted effort to be in contact with those persons whom He desires to communicate with.  Thank Him for loved ones, friends, family members and provisions that make it possible for everyone’s needs to be met while we are still here on earth, and our traveling days are not yet over.  Please pray to the Lord for us and ask Him to forgive us for at times, finding it hard to share our faith with others.  Help us to always be able to witness freely and in a godly manner about You and Your words of wisdom and understanding.  In the precious Name of our Lord and Savior…Jesus Christ.  Amen!

Scripture Lesson: “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me His prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. (2 Timothy 1:8)

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager and prisoner…Me!

   

God Defined For Me Who He Is More Vividly

On By SonjaIn How To Pray For Others, Prayers About God and Me, Prayers For Non-believers1 Comment
Lord, you have examined me.
You know all about me.
You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You know my thoughts before I think them.
You know where I go and where I lie down.
You know well everything I do. Lord, even before I say a word, You already know what I am going to say. — Psalm 139:1-4

There is something about the family of God that is unique when compared with other religions and their gods.  Can you guess what it is?  I’ll give you a little hint.  It has to do with science.

 Woah!  Wait a minute Ms. Blogger.  Have you gone off your rocker?

The world characterizes people who believes in science and does not believe in God, as an atheist.  Are you saying that members of God’s family are uniquely atheist? 

God forbid!  Absolutely not!

But one of the definitions for Who God Is, is Omniscience!   The other 2 definitions for God are that he is Omnipresence and Omnipotence.

This week as I studied, I became fascinated with the meaning for ‘om-ni-science’ as I read holy scriptures that depicted God’s supernatural knowledge of everything.  And believe it or not, I have just given you the definition of the word omniscience. 

The word comes from two Latin roots:  “Omni” which means all and “scientia” which means knowledge.

So, the next time you engage atheists in a conversation, introduce them to the very Creator of what they believe in…which is science.  As a member of the family of God, you can gently boast that God is Om-ni-scient!  You might close your discussion by saying…you atheists are counterfeit believers in the Creator of science.  Which is that very thing that you hold fast. 

So, in a sense, we believe in the same God!

Continue in your witnessing by saying, since man’s knowledge (the scientists) is limited, and all of us are finite creators, why not ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand those agnostic feelings and thoughts you harbor which most atheists wrestle with.

My prayer for you to become a more effective witness for God’s Kingdom is this…

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for your Word and for the privilege to be included in your family.  And I also thank you for the mysteries of how you intertwine in the hearts, souls and lives of skeptics and non-believers.  You love us all, Dear Jesus, and want none of us to miss eternity.  Help us to turn away from the trash and tinfoil of this world and what it has to offer and run into your outstretched arms of protection.  May we come to realize that all that we are, all that we hope to be and all our ‘getting’ is in your hands. Reveal yourself to us, my Lord.  Help us to turn our eyes upon Jesus and seek His precious face.  For we seek your knowledge and wisdom above anyone else’s.  Amen

Scripture Lesson:  “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.  Since you are precious and honored in My sight and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.”  Isaiah 43:1, 4

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manager…Me!

God Signs, Seals and Delivers His Private Messages

On By SonjaIn How To Pray For Others, Prayers About God and Me, Prayers For Spiritual Growth, Prayers For UnderstandingLeave a comment
My favorite pass time is working puzzles.

One day last week, while seated at my puzzle table in the lobby of my 55+ apartment building where I reside, a fellow resident approached the table and haphazardly said to me, “Did you know there is only one place in the Bible where God personally wrote down something?”.  I looked up  from my puzzling activity and nonchalantly replied, ‘Are you sure about that?’.  “Yep! It’s that time when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments,” he continued.  ‘Oh, I don’t think you are right about that, my friend.  But let’s talk about it later,’ I replied and returned to my puzzle project.  So, my friend shuffled his weight from one foot to the other, shook his head in disbelief, shrugged his shoulders, mumbled something under his breath about ‘his knowing the Bible’, and moved on.

The reckoning…

About a week later, I was again alone in the lobby at my puzzling activities when along came my ole friend.  We exchanged greetings, then I asked him how many fingers was I holding up.  He replied four.  “That’s right,” I confirmed.  “And that’s because there are actually four times that it is recorded in the Bible that God wrote down something for a person.”  With disbelief on his face, my friend pulled up a chair and sat down, looking quizzically at me.

“Now, what I am about to say will depend on your level of faith.  Who do you say that Jesus is?” I asked him.  “I believe in John Chapter One,” my friend said.  “Yes, but do you believe that Jesus is God incarnate?” “Yes he replied.  “Well, was there any time in scripture where Jesus kneeled down and wrote something?” I continued.  “Oh, yes!  When He challenged those guys that brought a prostitute to Him.”

“Okay.  That’s one.  Now what about Daniel?  What character traits do you recall about him?  “That’s right!” my friend exclaimed.  There’s a story about something being written on the palace wall of King Belshazzar where a banquet was being held, and that only Daniel could interpret.”  “Right!  And that’s number two,” I said.  “And don’t forget, the Ten Commandments were written down for Moses…twice!” I continued in an amplified voice.  “That makes four times in all that God wrote something down for people!” I concluded.

Moral of the story…

While Christians are on this earth, they will no doubt have numerous opportunities to witness or testify to others about their perceived knowledge of the written Word.  May I suggest that you guard against being too hasty or dogmatic about your perceived knowledge.  Always tread lightly when recalling absolute Truths.  And when correcting someone who thinks of themselves as being an ‘expert’ in biblical knowledge, wisdom and understanding of God’s holy word, tread with caution…pray first and foremost.

I am glad to report that my additional information to my friend was well received and the exchange of information has truly drawn us closer together.  Who knows, there may be additional times in the Bible where God wrote something down that I, too, missed.  Please send me a head’s up if I did.  I would love to receive your comments. For I am an approachable vessel of godly messages that I receive from other sisters and brothers in Christ.

My Prayer for you…

Precious Jesus,  I thank You for sending my way so many opportunities for new bits of insight that is in fact given to me as my trials that make it possible for me to be a more powerful witness for You.  It is my earnest desire that You help me to show others through my positive responses and thoughtful ways just how much I love You and Your holy Word.  Amen.  

Scripture Lesson “Each one should use whatever gift he (or she) has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.” I Peter 4:10-11

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manger…Me!

God Used Covid-19 To Prepare My Daughter For Her New Job

On By SonjaIn How To Pray For Others, Prayers About God and Me, Prayers For ThanksgivingLeave a comment
Covid-19 Victim Who Has Lost His Sense Of Smell

Did you know that a majority of medical professionals and scientists, as well as The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention listed the loss of taste and smell as the most common symptoms effecting victims who contracted the COVID-19 pandemic virus?

Earlier this year, my daughter, her husband and their 2 young children experienced a bout with Covid that lasted about a month. Thank God they all recovered with little or no lasting effects…all, that is, except my daughter. More than once she has said to me that one of the prolonged debilitating effects of Covid-19 is that she has not regained her sense of smell.

Now the medical term for the loss of the sense of smell is called Anosmia. And some researchers believe that this condition, while not permanent, may last for an extended period of time. At times, my daughter has seen her condition as a blessing and other times as a curse. For example, last week she accidentally burned up the cookies because she forgot to set the stove timer and could not smell them burning. But this week, she scored ‘browny points’ on her new job all because she could not smell the operation of the plant she had been assigned to audit.

Let me explain…

My daughter is a vegetarian and has not eaten nor cooked red meat for a number of years. In fact the very smell of her husband cooking or barbecuing any meat makes her sick. Last week, her work assignment was to audit a meat packing plant that prepares meat and vegetable toppings for pizza companies. She accompanied several plant managers throughout the plant and observed the preparation of these products. Her host company kept asking her how did she feel. Was she becoming nauseous or experiencing an upset stomach? It was explained to her that prior auditors have had to cut their visits short because of the strong smells of cooked foods in the various areas of the plant. But seemingly, these odors did not effect my daughter and they wondered why.

An opportunity to witness…

As my daughter explained her work situation with me, all I could think of was what a wonderful opportunity for me to witness to her about the role our Lord and Savior had played in this incident. I was thinking how negligent my immediate family had become since the pandemic hit and we had not had as many opportunities to discuss church activities and services like we used to.

So at an opportune time during our conversation, I gently said to my daughter, ‘You know, sweetheart, sometimes during an illness, God uses that situation to purify our infirmities like allergies. And He uses them for His purposes. Of course, the Old Testament story about Job found that out the hard way. Job had lived a pure life in every way, yet he needed to learn (through the words of Elihu) that God can use anybody He chooses…whether that person is an enemy or friend of God.

But you found out that what you believed to be a ‘thorn in your side’ after Covid-19 was actually a ‘blessing’ in disguise. Didn’t you say that the managers that you met with told you that they would surely request that your company send you out to conduct future audits because of the professional mannerism in which you performed your tasks?’

My prayer for you and others is this…

“Dear Heavenly Father, I realize that You speak to Your flock in various ways. And during my daughter’s abstention from red meat, she had no clue that her phobia would serve as an opportunity for her to give You thanks and glory. For there is no doubt, that the good report that those managers will send back to her employer, will serve her well in the future. Please help all of us, Dear Jesus, to realize that we must become good listeners in order to point the way to other believers that there are numerous opportunities to turn hearts towards heaven even during sickness and hard times. Yes, this dreadful pandemic called Covid-19 gives us so many avenues to explore and expand our faith in the precious Name of Jesus, Amen.”

Scripture Lesson: “God does speak — now one way, now another– though man may not perceive it. Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in his bones. Job 33:14, 19

Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.wordpress.com every Friday for a new post from The Master’s servant manger…Me!