Tag Archives: Strength

When Prayers Go Up, Blessings Come Down

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This is a call for continuous prayer throughout this school year. Our children go to school every day and the parents wonder, are they going to be safe. Being safe was not a daily consideration earlier in the decade or in times past, but now it seems people are intent on harming and killing children in schools. We all need to pray for school safety this year.

Dear Lord,

We are praying that you keep all school children and schools under your protection this year. Don’t let any hurt, harm, or danger affect them. We know you are our refuge, our shield, and our strength and our ever-present help in times of trouble. We come to you know in prayer, asking for your blessings.

Please protect our children, and allow them to remain children with gleeful eyes, always questioning and believing the best about people. We know you can turn anything around, and we pray that if it is within your will, let no instances of school shootings occur this year. We praise you for who you are. We thank you for a violence free school year. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (L. Blair)

God, thank you for being a mighty warrior and a strong protector. You call us to stand firm, not in our own strength and might, but in Yours. Your power has no end and your authority demands even the demons to obey Your will. Help us, O God, to rely on your matchless power to stand firm. Grant us victory rooted in Jesus. (Paraphrased, City Life Church, Standing Firm In The Faith, August 15, 2022)

Silence the Chaotic Internal Noise

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“Only God can quell the noise of chaos attacking our minds.”

~ Lisa Blair

Are you experiencing a cacophony of inner (chaotic) noise? I think every human in the world is or has recently experienced internal noise. We live in uncertain times and feel we no longer have control over our lives and that of our loved ones. We think we are losing our minds. PAUSE. We have to take command of our sanity and quell the noise that creates inner chaos. Chaos is the result of the external disorder. Satan’s purpose is to destroy our relationship with the Lord and do it through the means of this earth, those things that are temporal and control the circumstances of life.

Do not allow him to destroy your relationship with the Lord or your inner continence and peace. Focus on the Spirit of God, which is internal and eternal. The Holy Spirit lives in us. He can direct our path if we are silent and rely on Him, and not the dissidence the evil one orchestrates to destroy us.

Steps To Quell the Chaos

1. Dress yourself each morning in your Armor of God attire. Put on the Helmet of Salvation. It is part of the Armor of God.*

The Helmet of Salvation holds the thoughts, feelings, and purpose of God’s heart in your mind. Our mind is essential because it houses our perspective of who you are in Christ. If the evil one can attack your mind, he attacks who you are in Christ and weakens your resolve to dispel or reject the chaos he stirs relentlessly in our minds. “Salvation provides a unique perspective on who we are” as Christians. (The Full Armor of God. Larry Richards. 2013.)

2. Sit in silence.** Give God time to evacuate your mind flooded with Satan’s chaos. Let him extricate all airway messaging.

Satan does not like silence because silence is where the Lord dwells. He creates noise, dissension, and destruction. It is, therefore, essential to sit in silence and allow the Lord to speak to you.

3. Turn off the news; it is harmful and weakens your inner peace allowing chaos to enter and reign.

Satan is in control of the airways. Shut him out by turning off the radio, television, and social media. These are his tools to control your atmosphere and create a sense of hopelessness, despondency, and failure.

4. Once your inner sanctuary has been swept and sanitized, continue meditating and praying regularly, especially when you begin to feel hopeless, depressed, and doubtful about your future and the future of this world.

We can live in perfect peace, or we can choose to allow chaos to overwhelm our lives. When life becomes challenging, remind yourself that you must Amour Up each morning by dressing in the Whole Armor of God. I place my Helmet of Salvation on first, followed by the other parts of the armor. Once I am dressed, I take the first few minutes of the day to quiet my mind and body and begin the morning with God. Chaos is an option for Christians. Do you choose chaos or the peace that is greater than our understanding, being steadfast, *** relying on our Lord to fight our battles, meet our needs, and provide a way out when you do not see a way out?

““Be still and now that I am God,” the first half of Psalms 46:10, is a popular verse used to encourage believers to be still and silent before the Lord. This interpretation promotes a healthy rest in the presence of the Lord.” (Christianity.com, What Does ‘Be Still and Know I am God’ Means in Psalms 46:10? By Joel Ryan)

In closing, Cherie Hill writes, “When you begin first thing in the morning, you set the stage for your day. Through your praise, you establish a firm foundation of faith, and you can face whatever you must with courage, strength, wisdom, patience, and peace. I tell you that joy comes in the morning because you will find God’s mercy there.”**** IHe Whispers Your Name by Cherie Hill)

Scriptures (YouVersion. Bible.com)

* Ephesians 5:13-18 NKJV

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”

** Psalms 62:5-8 NIV

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

‭‭*** Isaiah 26:3,4 NIV

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”

**** Psalms 59:16

“But I will sing of your strength in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.“

Images: Google Images
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I Can Do All Things Through CHRIST Who Strengthens Me

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Do not allow your mind to reduce the strength of the Word of God.

~ Lisa Blair

This scripture, Philippians 4:13, keeps surfacing in my mind. Life at the moment is going well, and then Holy Spirit told me, this is not an emergency verse. It is how I want you to live every day. 

I think we often view scripture as a way of life, but often do not apply the wisdom to our everyday lives. We classify scriptures by type and apply them to certain situations. Gods plan does not categorize the Word. His Word is living and applies to a multitude of situations and circumstances we encounter, including the best of days.

The truth is, He strengthens us every minute, hour, and day of our lives. It is through this strength that He connects with us and leads us down the path of holiness.

Life is our time to learn, discover, and recover from things known and not known. When we rest in His strength, we are resting in His peace, His will, His Word, and His Way. 

God’s Miracles Never Cease To Amaze

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I mentioned a young boy who drowned in his pool and whose family, friends, and extended family are praying for a miracle in my previous post, Praying Through The Darkest Times. I am one of the extended family members. His grandmother and I serve as group leaders at a local Bible Study Fellowship group. It is an International Bible study organization, established on the fact that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.

I believe God is using Malachi in a mighty way. I will post some of the family’s daily experiences of how God’s miracles are often procedural, a process over time. Not all miracles are immediate, but they are all miraculous. His ways are not our ways and He uses various experiences to mature our Christian walk, some are very difficult to digest, others easier to understand at face value, they are obvious. Join us in praying for full recovery. Malachi has already defied the odds. The posts are from Facebook, Miracle for Malachi.

This post was written by Brenda Johnson on FaceBook

I don’t know your family, but your faith is absolutely inspiring. I’m sure every second has been trying, but your trust in Gods plan shows what beautiful people you are. I’m not a well versed Christian, but I believe God is doing something bigger than we can see on the surface. He sees your pain and sees your faithfulness in the most difficult time. 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight. Continued prayers that God has something planned for Malachi that the doctors have never seen and didn’t learn about in med school. I’ve heard Pastor Steven Furtick say a setback is a setup for a miracle.

This post was written. By Trisha Bernal, Malachi’s mother.

Malachi’s Story

It is with heavy and grieving hearts that we write this. When God hears our prayers sometimes he answers them in ways that we would never imagine, or wish for, and yet it is somehow intertwined in the overall story of life and even in the beauty of redemption. As I texted a friend this morning, I mentioned that I was grateful that Malachi- my little messenger of God, has thus far been used to bring thousands of people to their knees in prayer. I have been encouraged and blessed by so many people, many of whom, I have never met before.

We were hoping for an immediate miracle of healing by our human definition. Unfortunately the quick fix is not always the victory that God calls us to. Instead, sometimes the victory is in proclaiming God’s grace and goodness in the struggle no matter how long it lasts. Sometimes the victory is in finding joy and unity in standing for one who will never stand on their own again. Sometimes the ultimate victory looks so very different than we had hoped and we have no idea how we’ll get past the pain to see the blessing.

According to doctors, our little Malachi will never be able to walk or talk or even eat on his own again, and this is the best case scenario. But… he is alive and his story is still being told. He may not use his mouth to speak but he is truly a messenger of God. His life is not lifeless. He will lead the way in wheelchair races driven on of course by his big brother. He will have the coolest hats ever. He will still bring joy to his family and those around him. His life and injury will not be in vain. Pray for us. We need it. Pray that we better understand God’s perfect plan in all this. Pray that the church is unified and built up by my son.

As I was crying over his bedside a minute ago, in agony I prayed “God how could You have given Your only Son to die on the cross?” My pain in this moment is intense. He CHOSE that pain so that we could experience blessing in the form of ultimate salvation. May Malachi’s life continue to proclaim this truth as we unite as a family, as a community and as a church. God has called my boy to big things.

Earlier post from Trisha B, mother

Tip for a child friendly way to tell kids: Trisha and Goose told their kids that Malachi’s brain isn’t waking up. Since his brain controls his body, he won’t be able to move or talk, but he’s still very much alive. We’ll all be able to still hug him and cuddle him and care for him – and have wheel chair races! Malachi is alive and still with us. Praise God!

I pray that each one of you processes this with a kingdom mindset knowing that God’s perspective is not our perspective. God is good. There is no plan B with God. He is not surprised by this and he is still in control. He WILL work all things together for our good, and His glory, for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes.

Please remember that we are STILL praying for healing for Malachi and peace, comfort and strength for family and friends. There is a tough road ahead but it is not without hope. Our God is mighty! We WILL see his glory. Although we don’t yet know what that looks like, we approach His throne of mercy and grace, with thanksgiving and make our requests known to Him.

Photos and Content from Facebook, Miracle for Malachi.