I am sharing this recently read post by David Etteringer, ettingerwriting.wordpress.com explaining the distinction and similarities of the term ’proclaim’ in the Old and New Testaments. Good information and scriptural references.
We have the power of prayer to protect us. Own It.
~ Lisa Blair
We are the head of our household, and we have the authority to pray over our family for protection under the feathers of God’s wings. (See 2 Samuel 12:16)
In Bible Study, we are taught to pray back God’s Word to Him. He wants us to personalize His Word. He wants us to own His promises.
When we pray, it is important to personalize God’s Word. Our Father appreciates us praying back His promises to Him. Personalizing prayer means we have faith in what He has promised. We own what He is telling us, there is no doubt in what He is saying. It is unequivocal.
When you pray Psalm 91, personalize God’s Word. This prayer is known as the prayer of PROTECTION: THE SAFETY OF ABIDING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
As you pray this prayer, know that God is your family’s protector, and you can feel confident that your family is covered throughout their day wherever they go.
Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is OUR refuge and OUR fortress,
OUR God, in whom WE trust.”
3 Surely you will save US
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 You will cover US with your feathers,
and under your wings WE will find refuge;
your faithfulness will be OUR shield and rampart.
5 WE will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at OUR side,
ten thousand at OUR right hand,
but it will not come near US.
8 WE will only observe with OUR eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 I say, “The Lord is OUR refuge,”
and WE make the Most High OUR dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake US,
no disaster will come near OUR tent.
11 For you will command your angels concerning US
to guard US in all OUR ways;
12 they (ANGELS) will lift US up in their hands,
so that WE will not strike OUR foot against a stone.
13 WE will tread on the lion and the cobra;
WE will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue THEM;
I will protect THEM, for he (the parent) acknowledges my name.
15 He (the parent) will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with THEM in trouble,
I will deliver THEM and honor THEM.
16 With long life, I will satisfy THEM
and show THEM my salvation.”
Psalm 91:1-19, NIV, Biblegateway.com. This prayer has been personalized.
Images – Google.com
~ Lisa Blair
Our words define who we are, and place perimeters around our lives. If we change our words, what and how we speak, we change the atmosphere around us. We can change our lives and the bonus is, we change the lives of those within our sphere of influence. ‘It’s a win-win.’
This is an excerpt of the Forty-Day Word Fast by Tim Cameron, YouVersion, Bible.com app.
Day Four Devotional:
Every one of us has no doubt said something we wish we hadn’t spoken. What came out of our mouth was embarrassing, maybe even hurtful to someone else. Perhaps we said a curse word or repeated gossip someone told us. Whatever the case, we wonder, “Where did that come from?”
For me, this truth was driven home when I said something off-color in front of a couple of ladies in a coffee shop line. There I was, the leader of a Christian organization and an elder in my church, and I said something inappropriate in front of some women I knew. I was embarrassed the moment the words came out, but I didn’t give it a second thought. I rationalized it wasn’t that bad.
A few weeks later, there I was at the same coffee shop and the exact same comment slipped out in front of another woman! This time the words grieved me. I walked away repenting and hearing the Lord tell me there was something wrong with my heart.
As you spend time fasting from words of judgment, criticism, sarcasm, negativity, complaining, and gossip, it is important that you reflect each day on transgressions made with your words. Notice if certain patterns develop. Is there a particular person you feel free to gossip with? Are you being critical of your boss or your spouse daily?
The same way a person’s language reveals what part of the country he’s from or his national origin, as followers of Christ our words quickly reveal what kingdom we’re living in. Does the kingdom of this world or the kingdom of our God rule in your heart? If sarcasm, criticism, and complaining flow forth from our heart to our lips, then our country of origin is exposed as worldly.
Submit your words to the Holy Spirit’s control so that His kingdom will rule in your heart and the words that flow from your lips will be pure and pleasing to Him.
Ask yourself, “Have the words I’ve spoken recently reflected the kingdom of this world or God’s kingdom?” If any words come out of your mouth today that you need to repent of, do so. Ask the Holy Spirit to touch your heart and keep those words out of your mouth tomorrow.
Read my posts regarding our speech and actions :
Quench your thirst and drink from the spring of living water. Hydrate on the Word of God.”
~ LISA BLAIR
Our bodies thirsts for water to stay alive, likewise our souls thirst for God who gives us life. Those of us that live in developed lands find no need to search for drinking water to stay hydrated. Many who live in underdeveloped lands do not have this luxury. Water is scarce and many die from dehydration.
When can meet God? You can meet Him any time, at any point in our lives, even the moment before our death. Seek Him and He will meet you where you are at the moment of you cry out for Him. Many people die from not knowing the Lord, they do not drink from His living waters. Romans 10:9 instructs us to:
“Openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 NLT
When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are then filled with His living waters.
“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:4, ESV
Jesus is our Redeemer, His invitation is always open.
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”(When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) John 7:37-39 NLT
It is done I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.” Revelations 21:6 NIV
As Christians, we know the feeling of comfort the spring of living water provides. If each one of us shares this information with at least one person in our sphere of influence who does not follow Christ, they too can be filled and meet God where they stand, hydrated from the spring of (eternal) living water. They will know Him and become recipients of eternal salvation and reside in heaven with our Lord and Savior.
Images – LAB Photos; Google.com
Scriptures: Bible.com, Biblegateway.com, Bible.knowing-Jesus.com
Our God is a good and forgiving God. Like any loving parent, He waits patiently for us to acknowledge our wrong doing and ask for forgiveness.~ LISA BLAIR
Requests from the heart asking for God’s forgiveness are always met. All we have to do is ask God to forgive us and He will. Our challenge is not to repeat the sin or sins over and over again, and replace them with our adopted Christ-like character.
Image – YouVersion, Bible.com
Lisa’s Daily Inspirations 