Author Archives: Live Abundantly Now

THE JOY OF THANKSGIVING

November 18, 2018 1:54 am , 2 Comments ,

We have so many spiritual blessings to be thankful for. Christ’s presence is everything. A relationship with Christ is the greatest gift any of us will ever have. He is the anchor that keeps us from sinking into the depths of darkness as we press into Him through prayer, worship, and by meditating on the Scriptures. Without Christ, there would be no hope or true life.

With Christ, we can find rest in our souls by surrendering our worries to Him. We truly have more than 10,000 reasons to sing Him praises.

Every day is a day to give thanks, because of Christ’s never-ending love for us. A heart that’s filled with thanks will always be a heart filled with joy.

May you rejoice in the gifts you’ve been given through Jesus Christ. He is with you and will never leave you or forsake you.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your never-ending mercy, grace, and kindness. Let us rejoice over the gift You have given us through Your son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for enabling us to live with an abundance of hope, joy, peace, and love. Let our gratitude flow from our hearts every day and let us always seek after that which is good. Help us share Your love every day and always do good to each other. Let us never stop praying and be thankful in all circumstances. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

“See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

Have a joyous Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

 

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A VETERANS DAY PRAYER

November 11, 2018 10:32 pm , Leave a Comment ,

We can never thank our veterans enough for their service to our country. Let’s pray for our brave heroes and show them how greatly we appreciate their amazing sacrifices.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the brave heroes who sacrifice so greatly to protect our freedom. Please help us encourage those who have served sacrificially and let all veterans know our hearts are filled with gratitude. Help us to always show honor and appreciation for all they do for the United States. Protect the service men and women who are risking their lives to serve our country. Let them dwell in the shelter of the MOST HIGH and abide in the shadow of Your wings today and always. Let them rest in knowing You are their refuge and fortress every day. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!” Psalm 91:1-2

Thanks to all the veterans who have served and sacrificed for our country.

Posted in: Prayers , Tagged: , ,

A PRAYER FOR AMERICA AND THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS

November 5, 2018 9:10 pm , Leave a Comment ,

As my husband and I stood in line for early voting, we could feel the tension in the environment. We smiled and talked to people in the line to relieve the nervousness of those around us. We had good conversations and it felt as though most of us were unified in the fact that we simply desire to have peace in our country.

Peace will be our portion if we stay anchored to our beloved Christ. As His followers, we have never-ending hope as the anchor of our souls (Hebrews 6:19). Hope will continue to arise from the hearts of those who are clinging to Christ and holding onto His promises in the Bible.

For years, I have strongly sensed in my spirit that the U.S. is called to be a bright light in the world—a country filled with hope because of Jesus Christ. Although things may appear worse before they get better, I truly believe God is going to turn this nation around in due time.

In my heart, I hear Christ lovingly shouting from HEAVEN: “Rise up, CHURCH, and shine in the darkness. Pray fervently for change in America.”

We are all meant to be mighty warriors for God’s kingdom. We are called to pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN (Matthew 6:9-13).

Our collective prayers are more important for America’s future than any of us can imagine. Will you please join me in praying for God’s perfect will to come forth in America?

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the vision You have for the United States. Thank You for reviving the hearts of Your people in America. We sing praises to You for the spiritual awakening that is beginning to take shape in our nation. Please keep Your hand firmly placed upon our country and heal our land completely in the years ahead. Please turn things around in our cities and let Your chosen ones be elected to office during the midterm elections being held this week. Let America be a holy nation, a chosen generation of people who will proclaim the praises of Your goodness and live as light-bearers in a dark world. We know that it is You alone who can bring change and we trust You to carry our nation out of the darkness and into Your marvelous light. I pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

May the grace and peace of our Lord be with you.

 

 

 

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PRAYER FOR TREE OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE

October 29, 2018 11:26 pm , Leave a Comment ,

The senseless shooting that took place at the Tree of Life Synagogue is heartbreaking and our nation is mourning with Pittsburgh. Our hearts are filled with prayers for the entire Jewish community. May we join together and pray for healing for the brokenhearted, pray for peace, and may God bring unity in our nation.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being the healer of the brokenhearted. Thank You for being our comforter and our strength in times of trouble. Please be near to those who were affected by the tragedy in Pittsburgh. Please comfort the people who lost loved ones at Tree of Life. Let Your presence surround those who are suffering from devastation, pain, and trauma today. Please place Your hands around every hurting person and be their refuge continually. Please bring peace to those who have been deeply traumatized. Bring healing and hope to those feeling hopeless. Heal the hearts of those who are mourning and feeling broken. Bring unity in our communities and let love grow in the hearts of every person in our country. Let us be a nation filled with love for one another regardless of our differences. We pray in Christ’s Name.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

May the grace and peace of our Lord be with you.

 

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RESTING IN THE GLORY OF CHRIST’S LIGHT

August 6, 2018 9:48 pm , Leave a Comment ,

I was sitting in my great room praying when the sunlight coming through one of my windows captured my attention. My mind was filled with thoughts of Christ and His glory as my gaze was transfixed on the golden rays. I sat in stillness with no words as I was captivated by the brilliance of the light.

I’ve always loved how the light pours through my windows in the morning, but on this particular day, I was mesmerized. The brilliant light was a reminder to me of how Christ had overcome the debilitating darkness of my past.

Suddenly, I had a clear revelation about how Christ’s light is revealed in our day-to-day moments. As we keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, His light consumes the darkness in our lives. It’s impossible for the darkness to overtake us if we are consumed with Christ.

As I sat there with my focus on the light flooding into the room, the words in Isaiah 60, verses 1-3 dropped into my spirit. “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

Though darkness may be increasing upon the earth, Christ’s light is flooding out the dark forces in the lives of those who are fully yielded to Him. Our level of experiencing God’s light and glory is dependent upon how spiritually hungry we are. We can either spend our lives craving the things of this present world or we can wholeheartedly seek after Christ and experience His glory in unimaginable ways.

The glory of the Lord is not easily defined. To me, it’s HEAVEN touching the earth. It’s the splendor and magnificence of God’s presence tangibly felt in a powerful way.

After pressing toward Christ with heartfelt prayers, He’s been pouring His glory upon my life in an unprecedented way and filling my heart with compassion for those trapped in darkness. Every soul is in need of the glory of God to overpower the dark shadows.

My prayer is that every person who is longing for redemption and seeking to know Christ on a deeper level will catch some of the glory that’s being poured out by God. There is nothing that God’s power and glory cannot remedy.  As we turn away from the darkness and fall into the arms of our Creator, we can arise, shine, and rest in the glory of Christ’s light eternally.

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THE FREEDOM OF SEEING OURSELVES THROUGH GOD’S EYES

July 7, 2018 1:51 am , 2 Comments ,

God speaks to me so often through the lyrics in songs. I hear His voice in my heart the clearest in the morning time. This morning, I was lying in bed pondering a dream I had in my sleep and the lyrics to a song came to my mind shortly after I was awakened.

As I was lying there, the lyrics kept flooding into my mind four or five times: “I can see clearly now, the rain is gone.”

I knew God was trying to give a message to me, so a little while later I found the song and listened to it online. As I played the song, I was squealing like a child and shouting in victory because I knew precisely what Christ was trying to convey to my heart.

Michael had prayed some extra powerful prayers over me during the past few days. He prayed and asked God to break the power of the critical words of people. He boldly prayed that the words could never again impact my spirit and would fall off of me for eternity. In the moment my husband prayed for me, I shouted, “I AM FREE.”

A pattern in my life had begun as a young girl of allowing the negative words of people to discourage me and hold me back from the destiny God has for my life.

Years ago, I bought a book for my son when he was small and it ministered to my soul deeply. “You Are Special” by Max Lucado is a children’s book with a powerful message. I read it countless times to my son and even read it for myself multiple times. The story has a message about not allowing the “marks” of those around us to determine what we believe about ourselves. The point of the book is to learn to see ourselves as our maker sees us. What others think of us simply does not matter.

Throughout my life, I had been praying for God to help me not to allow negative words of others to impact me and I had made huge progress through the years as I pressed into Christ through prayer. However, even with the God-confidence I had gained, there was a tendency for me to return to old thought patterns. I had a place in my heart that needed Christ’s divine healing to get free of this pattern eternally. Amazingly, Christ touched my heart powerfully on July 4th, on a day that celebrates independence.

My “Declaration of Independence” in my heart was made official on July 4, 2018. “I am free from the untrue words people have spoken about me, I know who I am in Christ, and the criticisms of others will never again affect me.”

I can truly see clearly now. I can see clearly who I am and who God created me to be. Christ cleared all of the dark clouds out of my way so that I can live continually in the beauty of His light and glory. The pain of my past is gone forever. I’m not looking back.

Freedom in Christ is amazing. He came to set the captives free and bind up the hurts of the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1).

Christ is the healer of broken hearts and He helps us see the obstacles in our way. He pushes away the darkness and gives us bright, sun-shiny days. He takes away bad feelings and heals our pain. He gives us beautiful rainbows when the rain is gone. He gives us confidence to know we are going to make it to our destiny and He helps us see ourselves through His eyes.

 Hallelujah.

 

Posted in: Stories of Faith , Tagged: , ,

A PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL AWAKENING IN AMERICA

July 4, 2018 8:44 pm , 2 Comments ,

Many years ago, I began feeling very burdened in my spirit for America and the direction it was heading. I sensed the only answer to our problems would be a great movement of the Holy Spirit and a true spiritual awakening in the lives of multitudes of people.

As I prayed, I began to envision a map of the United States with flames around it and bright light coming out of it.

It felt as though God was saying: The U.S. is called to be the light of the world.

The thought of our country being the light of the world brought so much excitement to my soul. It gave me a fiery passion to pray for an outpouring of the Spirit that would change the atmosphere of America and ultimately impact the world with Christ’s glory and light.

In Matthew 3:11, we are told that John the Baptist was preaching a message and saying: “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Just as I envisioned the flames of fire around the map of America, I imagined the flames of the Holy Spirit consuming millions of souls and drawing them into the kingdom of God.

I wrote the following prayer in June, 2011. I want to share it again and hope you all will join me in praying passionately for the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit the world has ever seen.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your unfailing love, for the way You continually pour out Your mercy and grace. Thank You for what You are doing in the body of Christ. Oh how beautiful it is. I feel it in my spirit: REVIVAL is about to break out in a huge way in the body of believers in our nation. Keep pouring Your Spirit into the hearts of countless people. We (the body of Christ) want more of You. We want You to work in and through us in unimaginable ways. We want thousands upon thousands to be saved in our cities due to the massive outpouring of Your Spirit. We are waiting for You with great expectation to do mighty things in our nation and in our world.

I have visions of people falling at Your feet, weeping in repentance, craving Your love, wanting more of Your Holy Spirit. Please show the world who You are. Show every hurting person Your radical love. Speak to the hearts of all the people who call You, “LORD.” Let every believer know You deeply and intimately. Raise us up to be the church You want for us to be. Make us ready for Christ’s return, without a blemish or stain. Let us be a church who loves You wholeheartedly and loves each other perfectly. Let each follower of You be so focused on You that we would not look to each other, but only to You. Let Your perfect unity and love rule in the hearts of all Your followers. We are ready to see You do great and marvelous things in our cities. We love You with all our strength and we pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

“’AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS.” Acts 2:17′”

Happy 4th of July!

 

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THE DIVINE PURPOSE OF PAIN

July 2, 2018 12:19 am , Leave a Comment ,

Pain is a universal problem in the world. There is not a way to make it through this life without experiencing losses and struggles. I do not believe God causes pain, but He lovingly takes our painful experiences and turns them into something beautiful as we trust Him wholeheartedly. Depending on our perspective, the pain we experience in life can be the fuel to catapult us into our greatest purpose for living.

In the past, my family went through some very difficult financial challenges due to my husband’s failed businesses and job losses, yet my soul rejoices over all of it. Christ supernaturally carried us through every difficulty. He abundantly restored our finances with a new career for my husband, and we grew closer to God’s heart as a result of the desperate times of our past. I would happily do it all over again because of the eternal treasures my family and I gained in the midst of those painful hardships.

On a day of volunteering at a ministry that provides food to people in need, I was able to see clearly how God uses pain in our lives.

The rest of the story is posted over at DaySpring’s (in)courage . Please click on the link below to read, The Purpose of Pain, a story I wrote in 2014.

The Purpose of Pain

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THE GIFT OF THE FATHER’S LOVE

June 16, 2018 8:21 pm , Leave a Comment ,

There is a place inside every person’s heart that needs the love of a father. As humans, we are wired for needing a father’s love and encouragement. Yet, due to death, divorce, deployment, and many other reasons, not everyone has a good father present in their lives. When that need for a father goes unmet, it can cause deep pain in the soul.

Thankfully, our heavenly Father loves us perfectly and He promises never to abandon us. In Hebrews 13:5 it says: “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ ” A tangible sense of our heavenly Father’s presence can be felt continually as we press into Him through repentance and prayer. As we draw near to God, His love has the power to heal broken hearts and take away our pain.

Through every hard challenge, God has walked along side me and revealed Himself as a GOOD FATHER. I remember a time I felt weak and restless as I was facing a challenge that seemed impossible to overcome.

With tears rolling down my cheeks, I bowed down at the feet of the Father. I cried out for strength. I prayed, “Father, the obstacles on the path laid out for me feel too big.” His warm embrace enveloped my heart as His love washed over me. His Spirit soothed my soul and the sweetness of His presence encircled me profoundly. In my heart, I could imagine Him whispering words of encouragement.

Child, nothing is too big for Me. I’ll never ask you to do more than I created you for. Rest in Me. Rest in My love, rest in knowing there is nothing I’ll ask of you that will ever be too big. My grace is sufficient for you. In your weakness, My strength is made perfect. Arise my child. Let me put a new song in your heart. Let My love lift you up and carry you.

As His love permeated me with warmth, my soul was restored in an instant. He breathed new life into my spirit and strengthened me. Joy replaced the tears. Peace covered me and made me ready to begin a new day with a new song in my heart—a song of joy for celebrating the love I had found in my Father’s arms.

With the fatherly love of God and His strength—life is made beautiful. He carries those who completely depend on Him. 

May you feel the heavenly Father’s love every day and may He meet the unmet expectations that your earthly father may not have been able to fulfill. Whether you have a good earthly father or not, you can enjoy the priceless gift of God’s perfect love and rest in knowing that a daddy’s love flows from the compassionate heart of our Father in Heaven.

“He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence Him. “ Psalm 103:13

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for loving us with a perfect, fatherly love. Thank You for bringing healing to our hearts in the places we’ve been wounded. Please help us look to You moment to moment for every need we have. Help us to rest in Your presence and know that You will never leave us, nor forsake us. Help us look to You always as our provider, our nurturer, and our protector. Please fill the hearts of every earthly father with Your love so that they can be conduits of Your amazing grace to their children and grandchildren. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Grace and peace to you,

Amy

 

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A LIFE WELL LIVED

June 10, 2018 5:15 pm , Leave a Comment ,

Emotions flooded my heart as I was leaving the park where a garden had been placed in honor of my treasured friend, Lori, who passed to her eternal home seven months ago. Lori’s family created a gorgeous flower garden and dedicated it this weekend in memory of their beloved wife, mom, daughter, and sister.

Heaven gained an amazing soul in 2017, and all who knew Lori lost a one-of-a-kind treasure. During the months since Lori’s death, I’ve pondered how she impacted me.

Lori was a childhood friend whom I was out of touch with for a season until we reconnected through social media in recent years. Lori was one of the first girls I met when I moved from Florida to Georgia in the sixth grade. As the new girl at school, I was given a heaven-sent blessing in becoming friends with Lori. I have precious memories of spending time with her when she was a giggly girl. We enjoyed fun times of laughter together, going to the lake, and hanging out at my house as grammar school girls.  Lori is in the photo below at my 12th birthday celebration.

During our first year of high school, I was inspired by Lori’s love of books. She was smart, but what stood out the most about Lori was her pure heart. She held a strength and wisdom that many do not possess until later in life. She was steady, loyal, kind, and she did not have a need to try to be popular or cool.

Lori obviously had a close connection with God from an early age and she had a genuine concern about others. The love she drew from her close relationship with Christ overflowed out of her heart onto the lives of every person she met.

After attending several years in high school with Lori, I moved to another school and rarely saw her anymore. Then following our high school years, I briefly reconnected with Lori and she wrote some letters to me while she was away at college. Lori’s kindhearted, caring heart was obvious even in her written letters. During that season of corresponding through letters, I was married, settling into a new home and somehow our correspondence fell away.

With our lives changing due to marriage, our friendship slipped away and we did not stay connected as friends for several decades. Thankfully in our forties, Lori found me on Facebook and reached out to me with a very loving message. It felt like a miracle to reconnect with her. After we reconnected, I wrote the following message: “As I look back over my life, you were truly one of the sweetest friends I’ve ever had. I’m thankful to the Lord for reconnecting us.” The words I wrote to Lori are true—she was indeed one of the sweetest friends ever. I’m incredibly grateful to have had a soul like hers touch my life.

Choosing from all of Lori’s strengths, I believe it was her consistent, steadfast devotion to Christ throughout her life that made her such a beautiful soul. In the midst of her excruciating battle of fighting cancer, Lori drew closer to Christ instead of turning away from Him in her suffering. She leaned on Christ with a heart filled with faith and her devoutness to Him was revealed in every aspect of her existence. Lori was faithful and she was a Proverbs 31 woman in every sense of the word.

Christ has used Lori’s death as a catalyst for me to walk with a fierce determination for living a life fully set a part for the glory of God. It’s as though her death is propelling me into my destiny and giving me an even more fiery passion to share about the redeeming love of Christ with as many people as possible.

When it’s all said and done, nothing else matters more than loving Christ and loving people. Love is truly what this world needs more than anything else. Lori loved well and lived her life well as she loved others deeply, pouring out herself into the lives of many. Her legacy is truly one defined by Christ’s love.

We are all simply passing through this earth for a short time and we get one shot at leaving an eternal impact on the world. The Bible says in James 4:14: “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

With Christ’s help, we can all live with a singleness of heart all the days of our lives. May these words about my childhood friend touch your heart and prompt you to live with purpose—to build a lasting legacy of love with the life you’ve been given.

Lori will forever be in my heart and her impact will last for eternity.

Lori Stovall LaPlatney

    August 8, 1965 – November 11, 2017

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