Good Morning Resting in the Lord, Dynamic Movers and Shakers! As we rest in, dwell in, abide in God's presence daily during our set aside quiet times, He informs our prayers and steps for each day. As we follow Him we are moving towards becoming a dynamic movement of revivalists and disciple makers. As we pray throughout the day we shake the kingdom of darkness, tear down strongholds and release captives. PTL and Amen! Because we are earnest in our prayer and quiet times, God moves and prepares and uses us. How cool is that. I think one of the greatest things about spending time in His presence in conversation and prayer is the sense or feeling of peace that comes from knowing I am loved and cared for no matter what I am facing and that those times do indeed inform my steps and choices and have a bearing throughout the day as I step out prepared and attentive. We get into the healthy rhythm of working from resting in Him. We become so familiar with His voice and actions that we more easily see Him at work throughout each day and are prepared to join Him in His plans to expand His Kingdom. We are movers and shakers in the Lord! Another cool aspect about time with God is that all are invited and created to spend time in fellowship with Him and that is not affected by age or circumstances. He wants to hang with us and is blessed when we want to and then blesses us for doing it. We all have a part to play in His Good News Delivery Company and for many of us that part is to pray--constantly and powerfully in Christ. One more thing I love about my time with God is that He seems to somehow redeem the time spent with Him. I often start in the wee hours of the morning as He stirs me out of bed and invites me to come chat. Somehow He refreshes, prepares and redeems that time as He sends me out fired up and ready. It's pretty cool. And I'm finding that sometimes, He allows naps after my extended time with Him. (I hope that's the case today!) God is Love and loves hanging with us and showering His love over us and filling us with much love to share as He sends us prepared and ready to live and love more like Jesus! Amen!
Today my devotionals flow through and led to this thinking. Check them out and spend some time with our Father this morning! He does have some great things for you today that begin and are empowered through a set aside dedicated time with Him and as you dwell in His presence and pray throughout each day. Turn off the noise and tune in to His presence. It's awesome! Be still and know and be prepared to go! I have already prayed for you to have an awesome encounter with our Living God and to go out prepared and ready for what He has for you, mover and shaker!
Sarah Young:
ODB:
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A meteorologist in Mississippi went viral for uttering six simple yet profound words during his weather forecast on March 24, 2023. Matt Laubhan was tracking a severe storm when he realized a catastrophic tornado was about to bear down on the town of Amory. That’s when Laubhan paused on live TV to say this prayer heard worldwide: “Dear Jesus, please help them. Amen.” Some viewers later said that prayer prompted them to take cover. His spontaneous and heartfelt prayer may have helped save countless lives.
Our prayers can make a difference too. They don’t have to be long-winded. They can be short and sweet and can be said at any time of the day. Whether we’re at work, running errands, or on vacation, we can “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
God loves to hear us pray throughout the day. The apostle Paul reminds us that we don’t have to be prisoners of worry or fear but can take all our cares and concerns to God: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Whether we’re enjoying a sunny day or being hit by the literal or figurative storms of life, let’s remember to pause and pray throughout the day.
By Nancy Gavilanes
REFLECT & PRAY
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How can you be more intentional about praying throughout the day? How has your prayer life grown over the years?
Heavenly Father, thank You that I can pray to You at any time.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Paul’s teaching on prayer in Philippians 4:4-9 is a wonderful encouragement. But he did more than teach about prayer. The following verses are examples of how the great apostle also practiced prayer on behalf of himself and others: “God . . . is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times” (Romans 1:9-10). “Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved” (10:1). “We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored” (2 Corinthians 13:9). “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy . . . that your love may abound more and more” (Philippians 1:4, 9). This is a small sampling of how Paul prayed for others—both those who believed in Jesus and those who didn’t yet know Him. What a marvelous example!
Bill Crowder |
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TWFYT:
Chuck Swindoll:
The UR: Refreshing Moments
They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion. - Psalm 84:7 (NIV)
After dropping my kids off at school and daycare one morning, my minivan started smoking. Thankfully, I made it safely to work, but I fretted about what might be wrong with the minivan. Would it be safe enough to pick up my kids in after school? I was going through a difficult time in my life — divorce, financial challenges, health issues, the basement flooding — and this just felt like another thing spiraling out of my control. As I sat there feeling incredibly hopeless, a friend called to check on me. I told her about my car, and she prayed with me.
In the end, I was able to pick up my kids and drive home that day, but the minivan wasn’t repairable. Even so, knowing I had a friend walking with me and praying with me was like coming upon a refreshing pool during a long, difficult journey.
Similarly, the people in Psalm 84 found springs and pools of rain when they passed through the Valley of Baka. God provided refreshing moments for them along the way to sustain them on the journey. God shows up for us in creative and timely ways through people, words, nature, and in other ways we could not even imagine.
Today's Prayer
Dear God, help us to notice and experience the refreshing pools of strength you provide as you walk with us through difficult circumstances. Amen.
Charles Stanley ]
5 Prayer Points from 2 Chronicles 7:14 from harvest prayer:
This prayer guide is easily adaptable for individuals, small groups or entire churches focused on confession, repentance and the forgiveness of God:
Read 2 Chronicles 7:14 out loud: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Spend some time in prayer based on this passage:
• Father, we are Your people, called by Your name, and we will humble ourselves before You! Perhaps consider kneeling or lying prostrate on the floor before God. These are two very biblical postures of humility. Spend time repenting of your lack of humility before Him individually, as a church, and as a citizen of our nation.
• Lord Jesus, we are Your people, called by Your name, and we will pray. Take some time to confess prayerlessness and times when prayer has been your “last resort” instead of your first response. Confess the prayerlessness of the church you attend if corporate prayer has not been a consistent practice for your community of believers. Focus time upon the prayerlessness of the Church in our nation and confess the sins that have happened nationally on our watch.
• Holy Spirit, we are Your people, called by Your name, and we will seek Your face. Confess times when you have sought after other things for your wisdom and counsel before the Lord, and/or when you have placed your trust in people or government or ________. The Holy Spirit was given as a gift to teach us, comfort us and to intercede for us. If you have neglected or ignored the ministry of the Spirit by not seeking the face of God, take time to experience godly sorrow in whatever form that takes for you.
• Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we are Your people called by Your name. Right now we repent of these sins we have confessed before You: lack of humility, prayerlessness, and seeking other things, idols or gods before seeking Your face. We turn from our wicked ways and ask for Your forgiveness. We mean to turn towards You now, giving You our full attention. We will walk in humility. We will give ourselves to prayer. We will seek Your face and forsake lesser things in which we have placed our dependence.
• Lord God Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, we give You thanks for listening to our prayers…for hearing us from heaven! We thank you for the forgiveness that is now ours through Christ Jesus. And in faith, we trust in Your ability and stand upon Your promise to heal our land.
© Harvest Prayer Ministries
Harvest blog:
October 29 - DAY 33 OF 40 DAYS OF PRAYER FOR OUR NATION
Praying For Fiscal Responsibility In Government
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“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish’” (Luke 14:28-30 NIV).
We expect our politicians and appointed officials to uphold their fiscal responsibilities. This includes fundraising, allocating funds, and spending money appropriately. However, the United States government is currently weighed down by an immense deficit.
Senator Rand Paul, in his Festivus Report for 2023, identified over 900 billion dollars of wasteful government spending by both parties. Paul states, “It doesn’t take a genius to predict the dangers that come with spending money that the government just doesn’t have. When the government overspent by $1.7 trillion in FY2023, we were left with a whopping $659 billion in interest payments. You read that right. In Fiscal Year 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury spent $659 billion just to pay the interest on the national debt. Because we don’t have the funds to pay that, we have to borrow it — a large portion from China. We borrow from China to pay the interest on funds we couldn’t afford to spend in the first place.”
Our nation needs prayer to live within our means through responsible financial governance. Our God can help us if we look to His principles for fiscal responsibility.
Father, our nation has lost its way financially. We don’t follow Your guidance and wisdom when it comes to fiscal responsibility, and so, we are drowning in debt we cannot repay. Forgive us for this foolishness, Lord, and help our leaders look to Your solutions instead of fighting amongst themselves. We pray for a deep repentance among our government leaders – that they would bow before You and confess the sinfulness of the waste and foolish spending, and turn their faces toward You. Teach our leaders how to get the nation’s finances under control and back to a healthy place.
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- Pray that America’s government officials will recognize the damage they are causing, and bow before God in humility and deep repentance.
- Pray that these men and women will stop their wastefulness and seek purposeful and responsible solutions based on God's wise counsel.
- Pray for a united determination to set America back on solid financial footing for the good of the entire nation.
- Pray that we will, again, be a prosperous nation with a balanced budget and equitable tax structure.
- Pray that our government will soon be able to be generous out of the overflow of prosperity because we are a nation that honors God and the financial principles outlined so clearly in His Word.
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