Right Now Faith!

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. Hebrews 11:1-8 NIV (Read the entire chapter)

Many people claim to have faith in God and yet their actions refute their claim. How do we know? True faith, means we do not doubt–no matter what happens. For did not Jesus say that if we have faith–as tiny as a mustard seed–and did not doubt–we could move mountains?

This “now” faith differs depending upon how one explains it. Some say the “now” is an adjective–modifying faith and some say it is an adverb–indicating when. No matter how anyone explains it–faith–the confidence we have in God–to do what He said He’d do, whether we can see it or not, should be sufficient for the moment of our need. For if we can see the results of our faith, we no longer need to have faith for it.

We can declare by faith, that we will obtain a good job and proclaim it even though we don’t see it–yet. While we’re proclaiming it, we must do something in order for us to obtain what we say we believe. So now, we’ll go to school or fine tune job skills until we get that job. “Faith without works, is dead.” Once we have obtained the job desired, we no longer need faith “to get it,” but we’ll certainly need faith to keep it. So we perform the job with integrity and honor no matter what and even though we cannot see the end of days when we might leave it–we maintain our faith to keep it.

I’ve taken a rather circuitous route to get to this point–to encourage all those who are resisting the madness in the White House. Don’t get discouraged! Maintain your faith in what you do to see that justice prevails for all and that we will see an end to the madness! We don’t have to see how it’s going to happen, but to have faith that it will happen–without doubting.

For all who read how the rest of the chapter relates the faith of those blessed by God–note this one thing: It was the individual’s faith in God that was recognized and blessed and though some died–without seeing the end result of their faith–their faith in God was maintained. Though Noah had never seen rain before, his faith in what he knew God had told him to do, kept him going in building the ark, no matter how people laughed at him or ridiculed him, he kept building. When the rain came, they were no longer laughing, but it was too late for them to change course, once the ark was closed and sealed. I realize not everyone reading this believes in God or has a relationship with God, but I’m counting on my relationship with God and my faith in Him to know; all will be just as He planned it. I’m counting on His love for us to see us through all the turmoil and chaos and we’ll be left standing with a praise in our mouths, giving Him glory!

And that faith I have–is for right now–this very moment in the time of need for many who are fearful and distressed over what we see which causes us to doubt that God is able–right every wrong. Truth will prevail and every wrong deed will be avenged by God as we continue to fight the good fight of faith.

 

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30 Days of Prayer and Praise–30!

I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me. May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD, when they hear what you have decreed. May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great. Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands. Psalm 138 NIV

Day Thirty!

Lord Jesus,

You have kept us focused on the prize in our obedience to praising You. You have given us boldness, courage, stamina and insight with wisdom from above to keep moving forward, daily exercising our gifts in giving You praise.

Lord, thank You for continuing to pour into us knowledge and wisdom and desire to know truth and to always speak truth about all things. Daily, we’ll lift our hearts and sing praises unto You for there is no other like You worthy of our praise!

Thank You for always quickening our spirits when dismayed and providing us with a circle of others who love You to keep us encouraged. Thank You for keeping our thoughts from straying as we continue to work to seek justice for all and to right wrongs perpetuated against others.

Thank You for being a beacon of light in the darkness of a world filled with hate and giving us boldness to speak love, dispelling the darkness in the hearts of those who do not know You, anointing them with Your love.

Thank You for being in the chambers of the Senate and House–speaking a word of encouragement to the hearts of those who stand up and speak out for those whose voices are not heard through their own attempts to speak loudly. Thank You for giving all elected representatives hearts of flesh and not of stone so they’ll be moved with compassion and put country before party.

Lord, our Lord–who is mighty in battle and a conqueror never defeated–thank You for pouring into us Your spirit so we too can keep fighting the good fight of faith and are strengthened by the love You have for us in doing what is right for all people.

Blessed is the name of the Lord and blessed are those who obey Him in all things. Blessed are we who love You, O Lord that we might be a blessing to others and all who do not know You will come to know You through our living example of The Word.

In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–29!

Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever— holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. Psalm 111 NIV

Day Twenty-Nine

O Lord–How excellent is Your Name! How wonderful You are to consider those of us to be used by You. How delightful it is to serve You, knowing that our reward and eternal place of rest is secured by our obedience to You.

Lord, we thank You for the insight You give us when we seek understanding of what’s going on around. Only You, Lord could provide us with answers since sometimes, we don’t even know what questions to ask. But You, in all of Your magnificence–know all and give us what we need when we take time to hear You.

As we continue through this day and enter the fray to right the wrongs we see--continue to keep us focused on hearing You. Continue to strengthen us with boldness and courage to keep calling out lies and liars, enablers and users, the corrupt and the greedy. Continue to pour wisdom into us and insight beyond the surface of the matter so we may warn with vigilance of impending danger and speak to the hearts of those who listen so they too may become watchmen in these clouded days–shrouded with deception and cloaked with all manner of unrighteousness. Seer to the core of their beings all those who take advantage of the vulnerable, the weak-minded, those easily influenced as well as those who are mentally incapable of making distinctions between those who love them and those who are using them.

Lord, we know that You will not withhold any good thing from any of Your children and so we wait–having placed our petitions before You, having boldly approached Your throne, trusting our hope and faith in You for all things–knowing that You see and know all things and will not allow us to be dismayed for long.

Lord, look upon this nation of people–use those who love You and set aside those who profane You and disdain You–keeping them out of the way–so the victory cry–will not be hindered by any who pretend to know You.

We are marching forward–eyes wide open–with joy in our hearts, knowing with Jesus in the forefront of every battle–victory is won and we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. Hallelujah for victory in Jesus!

In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!

 

 

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–28!

The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name— he is holy. The King is mighty, he loves justice— you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them.He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them. LORD our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy. Psalm 99 NIV 

Day Twenty-Eight!

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for reminding us in Your Word about all You do and have done for those who have a heart to serve You. You reign over the nations and nothing the enemy does shall change who You are.

When sin shrouds righteousness, You shake up the earth with quakes and squalls and allow the ground to open and the seas to overflow because You have been ignored.

Lord, we thank You for delivering those who live right before You from all danger and harm and executing righteous judgment against all those who would intentionally harm any who proclaim You as Lord.

Though this country was founded on the beliefs and foundations of Your Word, some have strayed from loving all and caring about the rights and needs of all, help us to rekindle our love of mankind in order to keep this country moving forward–embracing diversity, fighting for justice and equality of all, and teaching our children to know love, receive love from You and share the love of Christ with all they meet.

Lord, seer the consciences of those in leadership positions–who proclaim to know You–to cease their acts of hatred and disregard for those who are unable to speak up for themselves. Remind them You are both Savior and Judge and will judge them according to their acts as You will with all of us.

Lord, for those of us who are fighting for justice and equality of all Americans, strengthen our resolve to keep fighting the good fight of faith–calling out injustice and liars and inequity everywhere we see it. Keep filling our hearts with hope and renewing our faith on a daily basis, reminding us at all times, we are victorious in You, no matter how things look on the surface.

O God, root out all the evil and wicked plans that reside in the hearts of those who don’t know You and are only interested in their corrupt power-grabs for power, greed and status. Bring them down for all to see as You expose their evil. Let not one of Your children be destroyed in the wake of the evil, but all those who perpetuate evil, let them be destroyed and all who have promoted their evil be destroyed with them.

You are a mighty, just, and loving God and we lay all our hope and trust in You. What an awesome God to love those who live simply and love whole-heartedly all who cross their paths.

Thank You for truth and ability to see through the lies of the enemy and for boldness to call out all unrighteousness; especially in those who profess to belong to You.

We give You praise, honor and glory for there is None Like You in all the earth!

In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–27!

Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King.Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.  Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity. Psalm 98 NIV

Day Twenty-Seven

Lord Jesus,

How mighty You are in dealing with all the inhabitants of the earth! Your love and mercy are beyond compare; Your justice for all without biases is immeasurable, and Your Truth and Wisdom keep exposing all the lies and liars who those their deeds were hidden. What a mighty God You are!

Though there are some who have not understood the magnitude of their actions or inaction regarding the decisions being made for all they govern in America–we yet hold onto the hope that if they have any thoughts for You, they will hear You and right the wrongs perpetuated by lies, false news and propaganda deliberately used for character assassination by a foreign entity, and promoted by the president-elect and his team.

Lord, we know Your mercy knows no boundaries, but we ask that as mercy is given and shown by others, You will continue to show mercy to all. Encourage the perpetrators of all wrong-doing in this recent election to search their hearts and souls and act as people of integrity by stepping aside so we can continue to move forward, as a nation, making wise decisions for all.

We are forever grateful for truth being exposed and recognized for we know that You and You alone will always pull the covers off the hidden things–those things You despise and bring them into the light for all to see.

We praise You for all You are doing and will do to help America on the right track as a world leading nation, with leaders who know and understand You and how You want us to live–always operating in truth.

In Jesus’ Name we pray and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–26!

I will sing of your love and justice; to you, LORD, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.The perverse of heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.  Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate. My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence. Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD. Psalm 101 NIV

Day 26

Lord Jesus,

Once again, we come to You, humbled by Your Word–realizing that every situation in life that we could possibly experience, You have already addressed.

Even now, with all the evil afoot and the plots and plans to dehumanize the poor and needy and women across this nation, we know that You have a plan for all involved in the wickedness.

Lord, thank You for surrounding us with like-minded people who will obey and silence the evil ones, reminding them on a constant basis of Your Word–especially those who proclaim to know You, but by their actions, we know they do not.

Continue to strengthen our resolve to see justice for all and for giving us the wisdom to engage lawmakers in the fight for what is right. Remind them O, Lord–that in the end, they must still stand before You and Your judgment against them will be as swift as their judgment against those whose voices they refuse to hear and acknowledge.

Thank You, Lord for those who are willing to speak up on behalf of those who are fearful, giving us the courage to say what must be said, calling out lies and liars, evil and truth, without risking our place in heaven.

And on this day, we thank You for being in the chambers of Congress–speaking to the hearts of every person elected to serve the needs of the people, not a party agenda, and bringing them into the light of truth, according to Your Word, not the dictates of man.

You are indeed a mighty God, awesome in power and magnanimous in justice and all Your judgments are just! We praise You for Your might acts of redemption and snatching from the fire those who are endangered because of following wolves in sheep’s clothing. Thank You for exposing for all the world to see–how much darkness resides in the hearts of those who embrace the idea of power, but have no knowledge of how to use it–effectively and with equity for all.

We know, O God, that our work is not in vain and that we are simply the instruments being used to effect Your goals in the land. Thank You for finding us worthy to be used by You.

In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–25!

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced. Psalm 63 NIV

Day Twenty-Five

Lord Jesus,

How we love to see Your love in action, never failing–being the same God, yesterday, today, and forever. Just as David was in the desert–exhorting You for keeping him safe from his enemies, You are yet keeping those who love You safe–from the wicked and evil plots of the enemies who seek to destroy us.

Lord, we thank You for giving us strength and courage to withstand the fiery darts of the enemies–those who seek to deter our faith and destroy our will to live and the means by which we can do so. In the midst of the battle against evil from on high–we yet sing and praise You and never stop talking to You, expecting great things from You.

Lord, we thank You for directing our steps–daily–in how to keep the enemy at bay–striking back as they seek to dehumanize the poor and the needy. We thank You for wisdom in doing all things to Your glory and we thank You for speaking to the hearts of those who can promote us in our endeavors to do what is right.

Though there may be some who are yet not fully cognizant of Your greatness, those of us who know, thank You for allowing us to be a light–a beacon that will draw others to You.

You, alone Lord, are our help and we know that without You, we could accomplish nothing worthwhile. Yet, with You–all things are possible and we know You will withhold–no good gift from us.

As we continue to move forward this day, sharpening our minds and exercising our rights as citizens of this great country, we thank You for keeping us encouraged–all hearts–determined to see justice for all exercised from all who are in positions of governing. Lord, let everything we do–glorify You–so all will know, You reign in the hearts of those who love You and You will keep the enemy under our feet.

In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–24!

The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. The seas have lifted up, LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the LORD on high is mighty. Your statutes, LORD, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days. Psalm 93 NIV

Day Twenty-Four

Lord Jesus,

Thank You for speaking to Your servant David, inspiring encouragement for all when needed.

Lord, we who know You, know that You and You alone have the power to turn night into day, and mourning into laughter. We also know that the darkness where evil ferments in the hearts of the wicked can only be dispelled by the light of Your love. Help us to show love to all, whether we agree with them or not, but love enough to speak truth and not allow them to live a lie.

Lord, as we journey forth this day, prepare the hearts of those in authority to hear from You through those of us who are willing to be used by You. Encourage the heart of every person who is standing up and speaking up for justice for all and never allow our hearts to fail because of rejection. Give us another path and another until we find the one that leads us to the hearts of those who are in position to make decisions for millions of people–so they’ll put country before party agenda.

Lord, lead others to the fold, in which plans are established to protect the rights of the poor and needy–regardless of skin color, ethnicity, gender or any other thing that the small-minded feel makes any people inferior.

Thank You for visiting our hearts and energizing our spirits to get the job done–not just today, but every day.

Thank You for all those who diligently worked to see a reversal of events with our Congressional leaders. Bless them mightily for their perseverance and dedication and love for all.

As we continue on this journey, to encourage our lawmakers to do what is right, help us to find a way to demonstrate, You are still on the throne, and You see all and hear all and know the plans and plots of the wicked.

We give You praise O God! We magnify Your name and lift You up–as our banner and standard in the battles that are ahead of us. But we know, with You going before us, the battle is already won.

In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–23!

The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all peoples see his glory. All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols— worship him, all you gods! Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, LORD. For you, LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name. Psalm 97 NIV

Day Twenty-Three

Lord Jesus,

We thank You for Your Word that is a constant reminder of the power You hold over the earth. Thank You for consuming the enemies of Your people–those whose minds and hearts are corrupted by greed and they plot to do evil in secret. Thank You for those who have the courage to expose the corruption in high places, revealing the darkness that lies in their hearts and the need to save their souls from being consumed in the lake of fire.

Speak to the heart of every politician in Congress today as they convene to govern this country and remind them of who You are and their obligation to govern all people. Root out the evil in the hearts of those who have accepted bribes and gifts in exchange for their support circumvent righteous laws and decrees. Force an accounting by every governing authority so all will know none are exempt from the law, but by the law shall their fates be sealed for all the world to see.

Speak to the hearts of every judge in the land and give them the courage to judge all matters with justice for all standing at the forefront of every decision.

Speak to the hearts of every investigative entity and investigator in which truth is sought and prevails over evil deeds and plans.

Speak to the hearts of every citizen so they will wake up and realize the peril our country is in and give them courage to do what is right in contacting their respective representatives in Congress–demanding all to uphold the oaths of their offices–in protecting every citizen from those who would create harmful situations for all.

O Lord, expose the evil that exists and cleanse the hearts of every evil-doer with fire from on high, creating in them repentance and desire to serve You and You alone.

Thank You, Lord for hearing and answering our prayers and for keeping every individual whose heart belongs to You, encouraged and emboldened to do all that is right before You, and being used by You to root out evil at every turn.

We give You praise and glory for You are the only One worthy of it!

In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!

30 Days of Prayer and Praise–22!

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if only you would hear his voice, “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did. For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ” Psalm 95 NIV

Day Twenty-Two

Lord Jesus,

Help us to remember the path taken by those who turned from You so we will not make the same mistake. Keep us on the path You have designed for us–with our steps ordered by You at every turn. Keep our hearts open to hear You and our minds willing to obey You in all You say.

Your Word, O Lord, is true whether some believe it or not. We know that You have chosen wisely all You use to accomplish Your goal in the earth. Thank You for using those who love You and know Your heart so we will not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Keep us humble before those You have sent us to so they will be willing to receive from us what You have given us to say.

For the broken-hearted, we speak comfort and renewed joy with living; for those restless in their spirits, we declare peace in their lives from this day forward. For those who have never known You, we declare revelation from heaven–opening their spiritual eyes and ears to receive from You. For those who are weak and weary from debilitating illnesses, we declare they are strengthened, healed and whole, from their crowns of their heads to the souls of their feet with the joy of The Lord who heals–indiscriminately. For those who are fearful and lack trust of others, we declare boldness and courage to withstand any dart thrown at them by the enemy. For those who desire to speak, but feel unworthy or unable--we declare wisdom flowing from their lips and reception in the hearts of all who hear them. For those battling addictions for sin has overtaken them, we declare chains broken and shackles loosed from everything that would keep them from honoring You with their whole lives–body and soul.

For those who are lost–irredeemable because they’ve sold their souls to the devil, we declare a quick demise so they will not have opportunity to influence others. For the repentant heart–we declare forgiveness and opportunity to share God’s love with others so none will be lost to the lake of fire.

You, O Lord, have given us reason to sing of Your goodness in the midst of chaos and crisis for we know we are never alone with You in our lives. In the heat of the battle and the darkness of hopelessness–You are the light that reignites our hope–and leads us out of the darkness.

Thank You for loving us enough to give us chance after chance to keep singing our praises of You and keep telling everyone we meet about You.

Great is The Lord and greatly to be praised! Hallelujah!

In Jesus’ name we pray and thank You, Amen!