Last night, our church met to celebrate the end of our 21-day Daniel Fast. This is the first time Mike & I have ever done a fast like this. We've fasted before on our own and together, but not like this. Both of us had a sense of solemnness (if that's a word), of seriousness, about this time of fasting. Our prayer focus as a church was to pray for an increase in our authority. Now, here's what we know: Jesus told us in the Bible that He has given us all authority, everything He has, He's given to us in full measure, not a watered down, diluted version. The authority to pray using His Name to see the sick healed, sins forgiven, relationships restored, strongholds and demonic oppressions broken off of believer's lives. So, how to go about praying for an increase in our authority when we already have been given all authority by Jesus? Good question, huh? Here's what we learned as we fasted and prayed:
God began to reveal to us specific ways that we could step more fully into the authority He has given us through Jesus. The way we increase in authority is to begin to see ourselves fully possessing and having command of the authority we've been given. So our authority didn't increase (we already had 'all' authority in Jesus), our confidence in the truth and trustworthiness of that authority increased. And as that happened, I began to sense a new strength and health come into my body. I began to sense a less filtered presence of the Holy Spirit with me as I prayed and worshiped. I have a renewed conviction that I hear the voice of God and can rightly interpret what He's saying.
So last night, as we, The Citadel Church, met together, we worshiped and dedicated ourselves anew to the Lord and His purposes for our lives for 2011 and beyond. We did not gather to make petition or cry out our needs...No, we worshiped our God. We praised His Mighty Name, giving honor to the One Most Holy, showing reverence for His unmatched Majesty. We are His, dedicated to His purposes in our lives. May we shine with the Light of Jesus as we walk into this new year.
- Lori
- Believer, Lover, Leader, Follower, Writer, Singer, Wife, Mother, Mimi, Sister, Friend
My Legacy
I read my friend, April Himes, blog the other day titled "Legacy." In it, she talked about wanting to leave a legacy Jesus would be pleased with for her three girls. She told a story she had heard about a pastor's memory of waking up to find his mother praying every morning; and she wants her girls to have memories of her faithfulness and devotion to God too (you can read her blog for yourself, if you'd like, this is the link: April's Blog).
Anyway, her blog got me thinking about my kids...my legacy...what would my kids remember about me that would point them to Jesus...I have three biological children now ages 28, 26, and 24. Two girls and a boy. My oldest (who lives in California) told me recently that she was driving somewhere with her boyfriend, the sky was full of those really big round, thunderstorm-kinds of clouds that are dark on the bottom and look like a bunch of jumbo size cotton balls all stuck together. A ray of sunshine had just broken its way through them and shone itself all the way down to the earth in a blast of filtered brilliance and Tauni (my daughter) told her boyfriend that "my mom always used to say that she imagined that's what the sky would look like when Jesus came back for His people."
My 26 year old daughter, Amber, likes to tease me about when they were younger, I would go into the bathroom with my Bible and come out with a word from the Lord. She said, "It was like you'd say, 'leave me alone for 5 minutes!' You'd go into the bathroom, and when you opened the door to come out, it was like there was this light shining on you from above, we could hear the angel chorus singing, and you would say, 'come to me children, I have heard from God.'" She was teasing me, of course. But she said she knew I knew how to hear from God.
Recently when I visited Peter, my 24 year old son, and his family, there was only enough coffee left for one of us and we both wanted it. And Peter said this to me, "Mom, it's like you always used to say to me, 'You have the opportunity to be Jesus in this situation...now you could take the cup of coffee for yourself OR you could be like Jesus and give it to me." Well, what could I say to that? I guess you know HE got the cup of coffee!!
But what this showed me is that we leave a legacy of our lives from every part of our lives consciously and unconsciously. Our children, our spouses, our friends, and co-workers watch us and if we have Jesus in our lives, He will be seen.
Anyway, her blog got me thinking about my kids...my legacy...what would my kids remember about me that would point them to Jesus...I have three biological children now ages 28, 26, and 24. Two girls and a boy. My oldest (who lives in California) told me recently that she was driving somewhere with her boyfriend, the sky was full of those really big round, thunderstorm-kinds of clouds that are dark on the bottom and look like a bunch of jumbo size cotton balls all stuck together. A ray of sunshine had just broken its way through them and shone itself all the way down to the earth in a blast of filtered brilliance and Tauni (my daughter) told her boyfriend that "my mom always used to say that she imagined that's what the sky would look like when Jesus came back for His people."
My 26 year old daughter, Amber, likes to tease me about when they were younger, I would go into the bathroom with my Bible and come out with a word from the Lord. She said, "It was like you'd say, 'leave me alone for 5 minutes!' You'd go into the bathroom, and when you opened the door to come out, it was like there was this light shining on you from above, we could hear the angel chorus singing, and you would say, 'come to me children, I have heard from God.'" She was teasing me, of course. But she said she knew I knew how to hear from God.
Recently when I visited Peter, my 24 year old son, and his family, there was only enough coffee left for one of us and we both wanted it. And Peter said this to me, "Mom, it's like you always used to say to me, 'You have the opportunity to be Jesus in this situation...now you could take the cup of coffee for yourself OR you could be like Jesus and give it to me." Well, what could I say to that? I guess you know HE got the cup of coffee!!
But what this showed me is that we leave a legacy of our lives from every part of our lives consciously and unconsciously. Our children, our spouses, our friends, and co-workers watch us and if we have Jesus in our lives, He will be seen.
Four cool things about Jesus
In the beginning, Jesus is the Word of God -- Spoken
In the Old Testament, Jesus is the Word of God -- Written
In the New Testament, Jesus is the Word of God -- Living
In US (the Church, the Body), Jesus is the Word of God -- Manifest
New Year--New Look
So, it's 2011...I'm glad to see it. I know the Lord has good things for Mike and I. I believe this is a year of Jubilee for us; I believe this is a year we will see answers to things and situations long-prayed for; I believe this is a year of new beginnings and blessings beyond our ability to explain; I believe this is a year we will grow even closer as a couple and with our family, grow in fellowship with our friends, and grow deeper in our relationship with the Lord.
We're only a couple weeks into the New Year, and I am convinced it's going to be good.
By the way, when you get a chance, let me know what you think of the new look on my blog (even if you don't know what it used to look like...). I'm still learning how to do stuff and plan to add pictures and other cool blog stuff!
May you walk in the knowledge of the reality of God's love this year like never before!
We're only a couple weeks into the New Year, and I am convinced it's going to be good.
By the way, when you get a chance, let me know what you think of the new look on my blog (even if you don't know what it used to look like...). I'm still learning how to do stuff and plan to add pictures and other cool blog stuff!
May you walk in the knowledge of the reality of God's love this year like never before!
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