Monthly Archives: April 2020

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REJOICING IN CHRIST’S RESURRECTION

April 12, 2020 7:16 pm , 2 Comments ,

Christ has risen! Because He lives, we can rest in Christ’s presence and peace in the midst of a pandemic. We can face adversity with strength and joy because we know that we have our beloved Christ to carry us.

Christ died an agonizing death to pay the penalty for our sins so that we can live eternally, free of condemnation and guilt. He died so that we can live in eternal peace through every trial and loss. Christ’s love is all we need to make it through this life victoriously. The power that raised Jesus back to life is the same power that resurrects us and gives us new life. The resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead is able to lift us up and fill us with joy as we place our trust in Him. We can rejoice that death has been conquered. Our bodies are just temporary tents, so there is no fear of death for the believer in Christ.

I can imagine Jesus whispering words of love and grace to the world.

I am risen! Celebrate My resurrection. Come live fully in Me every moment of every day. Don’t give one thought to the difficulties of life on Earth. You can rest in knowing these are light and momentary troubles compared to the glory of Heaven. Keep your eyes fixed on Me and on eternal things not seen. As you live in Me, you will rise up on eagles’ wings and soar continually. Don’t be afraid of anything I ask you to do. Simply obey Me. Live in the fullness of My joy. Shout to the world of My goodness. Glorify My name so that those in need of Me will know the truth of who I am. Let this day be a day of new beginnings—a day to rejoice in My perfect love for you. My heart longs for you, My beloved bride. I am coming back for you and will live with you for all eternity. Come with Me to high places and never stop singing praises over all you have found in the gift of the cross.

Heaven touches us and stays in our hearts the moment we truly realize what Christ has done for us on the cross. We do not have to wait until after we leave our earthly bodies to begin experiencing Christ’s eternal gifts. Eternity begins when we surrender to Christ, allow Him to carry us through the trials, and trust Him to bring beauty in the midst of turmoil.

Hallelujah.

The hymn written by Bill Gaither is a beautiful song to sing and be reminded of the power in the cross to heal and strengthen us every day.

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives.

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives.

And then one day, I’ll cross the river,
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict’ry,
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives.

Our Precious Jesus,

Thank You for dying an agonizing death so that we can live eternally in Your perfect peace. Help us walk in Your righteousness continually and let us live in the fullness of Your joy every day. Help us to remember daily the pain you bore so that we can live freely in Your amazing grace. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

Have a blessed Easter.

Posted in: Holidays , Tagged: , ,

THE POWERFUL PRAYERS OF DESPERATE MOTHERS & GRANDMOTHERS

April 8, 2020 1:07 am , Leave a Comment ,

Desperation drives us to our knees more than anything else, and there’s no denying the desperate crisis of the global pandemic we are facing. I don’t believe there has ever been a time when prayer has been needed more than now.

The prayers of mothers and grandmothers are perhaps the most powerful prayers offered up to God. A mother’s and grandmother’s prayers are motivated by a fierce love to see their beloved offspring flourish in this life.

Today, I’m thanking God for my dearly loved grandmother, Mimi. She was overly finicky about her name and wanted to make sure everyone knew her name was Minnie V without a period next to the V. I’ll always remember that, but what stands out most about Mimi is that she prayed passionately. She passed away in 2007 and left an amazing legacy of faith. Her life was defined by prayer and her relationship with Christ was exemplary. I’m rejoicing over the impact she had on my life. She was a mighty prayer warrior and prayed faithfully for me throughout my life.

In honor of Mimi, I want to share an excerpt from my new book, “The Desperate Mom’s Prayer Book.”

The year my teen daughter was entering the adolescent stage of life, I was in the attic sorting through junk when my eyes were drawn to a wooden crate. It was a handmade box that hadn’t been touched in decades. I had vague memories of storing some special keepsakes in the crate so I carefully opened the lid, reached inside, and pulled out the first thing my hand touched. It was a letter written by my grandmother in 1981, the year I turned sixteen. Emotions flooded my heart as I began reading the words of my beloved grandmother, Mimi. Finding a letter with one of her prayers meant more to me than words can express. I had not read that letter since she had first given it to me and I was stunned when I got to the bottom of the first page.

In my precious moments with God, at the quiet times on the porch, I asked Him to give me a special message for you. Romans 12:1, is what first came to mind…’I urge you… to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.’ It is a verse for all dating people and I claim it for you today. Amy, I pray every day for your mind, for God to protect you from the enemy. Satan likes to attack teenagers with their thinking, their friends, and in every area of their lives. So every day I pray, building a hedge of protection around you and I also pray for your future…

I couldn’t hold the tears back as I realized the magnitude of the words she had prayed for me. I know wholeheartedly that the prayers of my grandmother were what protected me during my teenage years.

Mimi’s prayers, along with my mother’s prayers, are what carried me through my immature years. I’m sharing a picture of my grandmother with me and my son in 1997.

I feel certain that Mimi is celebrating in HEAVEN over the release of this encouraging book. I worked on writing “The Desperate Mom’s Prayer Book” for years. This book is an updated and expanded version of my previously published eBook. The book contains more than 75 prayers and includes personal stories about the power of prayer working in the lives of my children. It’s for mothers who are desperate, and have nowhere else to turn, but to God. The ultimate goal of the book is to point mothers toward Christ and a life of prayer. The book’s message is laced with hope and encouragement for mothers to trust Christ to do what seems impossible.

Jesus Christ will make a way through every crisis we ever face in this life as we pray and release our problems to Him through fervent prayer.

Matthew 17:20 tells us that Jesus said, “For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”

Sit at the feet of Christ, pray boldly, and let your faith move mountains.

I hope you enjoy the FREE preview of THE DESPERATE MOM’S PRAYER BOOK.

Posted in: Legacy, Motherhood, Stories of Faith , Tagged: , , , , ,

5 PRAYERS FOR HOLY WEEK

April 6, 2020 1:05 am , 2 Comments ,

During the sacred days of HOLY WEEK, I am rejoicing greatly in Christ’s amazing gift to mankind. His death on the cross is the greatest gift any of us will ever receive.

Christ’s love is perfect, and He has all of the answers for our troubles. When we are all wrapped up in Christ’s presence, absolutely nothing can shake our faith.

Christ is wooing people to turn to Him in these trying days for our world.

I am praying for millions of souls to be saved in the days and weeks ahead. If you have not accepted the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, I am praying that you will pray a simple prayer of salvation (at the end of the post).

 

A Prayer of Adoration

Beloved Jesus,

You are beautiful. You are amazing. You are incredible. Thank You for the glorious gift You have given mankind by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Thank You for bearing the indescribable pain so that we can have eternal life and live in perfect peace. Thank You for coming into the world and offering us salvation and letting us live in Your love for all eternity. We worship and adore You for all that You are. Your love lifts our countenance. Your love gives us hope. Your love heals our broken hearts. Your love allows us to give to the ones in need, to share the good news with the lost ones, and to forgive the ones who have hurt us. Your love conquers all of the darkness and awakens our souls. I love You with all of my heart and strength. I pray in Your name, Christ. Amen.

 

A Prayer of Repentance

Lord,

Thank You for loving us so perfectly and never giving up on us. Please forgive us for getting drawn away from Your presence into earthly things that really have no real value. We humbly repent and turn away from anything that hinders us from growing closer to Your heart. We ask You to remove every idol from our hearts and let us turn away from everything that draws us away from knowing You more deeply. Help us continually turn away from the sins that kill our spirits. Let us pursue You above everything else and keep You as our highest priority. Help us continually to walk in Your righteousness and let us live in the fullness of Your joy always. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

 

A Prayer of Surrender

Lord,

Thank You for Your never-ending grace, mercy, and love. We surrender every part of our hearts to You and ask You to guide us in everything we do. Let us pray without ceasing and let our relationship with You be the most important part of our lives. Help us to grow spiritually every day and let us look to You for every need. Let us make a difference in the world every single day and let us share Your love in countless ways to those who are hurting. Fill us with bold faith and let our prayers shake the heavens and bring down the dark forces that seek to devour us. Let us arise as powerful, mighty warriors and be filled with more of Your Holy Spirit. Let Your light shine brighter than ever in all of us so that multitudes of people will be saved and come into Your kingdom. We trust You to keep Your hand upon our families and our nation and we wait expectantly for You to reveal Your glory in greater ways in the coming days. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

 

A Prayer of Gratitude

Lord,

I am in awe of You and Your love for mankind. There are no sufficient words to thank You for Your gift to us. Thank You for dying an agonizing death so that we can live eternally in Your perfect peace. Help us to remember daily the pain you bore so that we can be free from condemnation and shame. We could never repay You for what You have done for us, but we choose to come to You with humility and sit at Your feet. Let us revel in the gift of Your amazing grace and let our lives be a celebration of Your love. I will be eternally grateful for Your gift of the cross. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

 

A Prayer of Salvation

Lord,

Thank You for dying for me and paying the penalty for all my sins so that I can have eternal life. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and You were resurrected from the dead. I ask You to forgive my transgressions and cleanse me from my sin. Purify me and make me brand new. Create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Give me the strength and power to walk away from my sinful past. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Deliver me from guilt and let me be one that You delight in. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, seal my salvation, and reside in me for all eternity. I surrender my life to You, Jesus Christ, my LORD and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed to receive Christ, welcome to the family of God! Let us rejoice in all that we have in Christ. Let’s keep our eyes fixed upon our beloved Savior until we meet Him face to face.

Hallelujah.

Posted in: Prayers , Tagged: , , , ,