I’ve Been Approved!

 

 

A truly strong person does not need the approval of others any more than a lion needs the approval of sheep.

Vernon Howard

 

I do not need the approval of anyone!

Because…

I am God-approved and anointed,

God-blessed,

God-commissioned,

God-favoured,

God-justified and God-vindicated.

 

Dear Woman of Warfare follower and visitor – so are you!

 

Love from,

Carol (aka Ladycee) ♥♥♥

Choose to be a Victor!

Do you value the approval of God above the approval of others?

I’d love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts or response to this post in a comment box below. Thank you.

 

CREDIT: 

Lion picture – CC0 image courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Holy Week: It Is Not Goodbye!

 

 

 It is Saturday. The day after the worst day of their lives.

The unthinkable deed has been done.

Jesus—the expected Messiah, Mary’s first-born son and the disciples’ beloved friend and master—has been crucified and his body lies in a sealed tomb.

It’s over!

What can be more final than death?

What grief… what confusion… what mixed emotions Jesus’ loved ones must have experienced! How forlorn they must have felt.

I can recall feeling devastated when my mother died.

I can recall:

• the mixed feelings of peace and assurance that she’d gone to be with the Lord,
• the relief that she no longer had to endure loss of dignity and suffering,

 and also

• the void in my life that she left behind.

As I considered what I should write about today and how I should tackle the theme of this post, I remembered searching for the right poem to read at my mother’s funeral. I wanted a poem which would adequately express my family’s feelings. Although this was not one of my choices, the following poem came to mind, as one which eminently suits the circumstances of our Saviour’s death.

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sun on ripened grain
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.¹

Now in the case of our Lord and Saviour, the above words have a particular resonance because we know that Jesus, is God. He fills all and is all. He is the First and Last, the beginning and the end. He is Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8, 11).

More importantly, Jesus told his disciples that he would arise from the dead.

And so, unlike our mortal loved ones, even though Jesus had died, he’d previously declared to his disciples that he would not only live again but they’d see him alive with their own eyes. In fact, he even arranged to meet them in Galilee (Mark 16:7).

However, the disciples found this a difficult concept to wrap their head around—as would you or I!

And so, despite being present when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead², despite being aware that their Messiah friend had brought a young man back to life during a funeral procession³, despite witnessing the astounding resurrection of Lazarus who’d been dead for 4 days⁴, the disciples either did not believe Jesus, or were so overwhelmed with grief that they failed to remember his words.

Before his death, Jesus had given them words of comfort and assurance which should have been a solace to them. He was saying in effect: Yes, I am going to die. But, No – it is not permanent. It is not goodbye!

And as I considered these things it made me think about how many times, we as God’s children, may hear the Word of God and know his promises yet fail to believe them, or fail to remember them, even at times fail to allow them to be a source of comfort, or strength, to dictate our behaviour, or guide our decisions.

I can imagine that alongside their grief, the disciples struggled with condemnation. They had failed their Messiah friend. And those who were the closest to him, had run away in fear during Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter, despite declaring that he was ready to die with Jesus, denied him in no uncertain terms. And poor Judas was so remorseful about the treacherous part he had played that he hung himself.

Now, as I mentioned above, we often look for words which express our heart and feelings towards our loved ones, to share at their funeral. We have seen that Jesus left behind words of assurance for his disciples and loved ones, which they either disbelieved, or failed to remember.

I wonder what words of comfort Christ might wish to speak to us today. I imagine they could be something along the lines of this:

 

Friends and followers, I pray my message today will remind you that God is loving, merciful and forgiving. That is why he sent his Son to die for us.

Jesus did die. The deed was done. But hallelujah! He faithfully completed the task God sent him to do. It is finished!

Today, let us be thankful to our Heavenly Father that it’s not goodbye to second or third or even a million chances. It is not goodbye to God’s blessings, grace and mercy. And for those of us who enjoy an ongoing spiritual relationship with our Father God and with Jesus Christ – it is not, and will not be goodbye to his precious presence – forever!

Happy Easter!

Love from

Carol (aka Lady Cee)

 

References:

1 – Written by: Mary Elizabeth Frye – source link:

2 -Mark 5:22-24; 35-42

3 – Luke 7:11-15

4 – John 11:38-44

 

 

Good Friday Reflection

 

 

For Christ also suffered once for sins,

The just for the unjust,

That He might bring us to God,

Being put to death in the flesh

But made alive by the Spirit.

(1 Peter 3:18 NKJV)

 

God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’

– Billy Graham

 

In Christ we see a maturity of love that flowers in self-sacrifice and forgiveness; a maturity of power that never swerves from the ideal of service; a maturity of goodness that overcomes every temptation, and, of course, we see the ultimate victory of life over death itself.

Vincent Nichols

 

AGNUS DEI

 

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

 

CREDIT: the above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Stop Complaining and Making Excuses — The Light in the Heart

Maturity is when you stop complaining and making excuses in your life; you realize everything that happens in life is a result of the previous choice you’ve made and start making new choices to change your life. Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the heart

via Stop Complaining and Making Excuses — The Light in the Heart

Father God’s Invitation

This is God’s Message,

The God who made earth,

Made it livable and lasting,

Known everywhere as GOD:

‘Call to me and I will answer you.

I’ll tell you marvellous and wondrous things

That you could never figure out on your own.’

(Jeremiah 33:3 The Message)

 

Beloved, the answer you need is just a call away. So don’t delay – send Father God your knee-mail today.

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

 

Captives, Chains & the Power of Christ

But thus says the Lord:

“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away,

And the prey of the terrible be delivered…” (Isaiah 49:25)

 

In order to fully appreciate the message of this post, please listen to the following video of gospel artist, Tasha Cobbs.

Singing a Song of God’s Deliverance:

Wow! Whether through preaching, praise or prayer, what an honour to be able to have such influence, to be a vessel through whom God’s glorious power can be released!

 God Cares About the Captives:

There is power in the name of Jesus!

And in the mighty, matchless name of Jesus, every chain can be broken!

Do you believe that?

Maybe as we look around us and consider the problems of this world, we find it hard to believe. Perhaps even our own personal experience stands at odds with the above statement.

So if that’s the case, what is one to do?

Beloved, let me encourage you to take a leaf from the book of a humble and honest man in the Bible, who cried out: Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!

Did you listen to the above video? I hope you didn’t skip it because I know it will bless you, and this post is in part my response to it.

Greater is God’s power within us than the Enemy’s attack against us!

I have spent a good 2 hours or so this morning, listening to Tasha Cobbs sing her powerfully anointed song: There is power in the name of Jesus!

Following an overwhelming and persistent attack of the Enemy upon my mind and physical being, I began to watch this video. Listening to this song and responding to the power and anointing of Jesus as Tasha ministered, changed the very atmosphere around and within me. Furthermore, it has stirred a new desire to be used mightily by God, to see people set free from the lies and deception of the Enemy.

A heart of compassion:

Dear readers, I’ve been listening to this song quite a lot this week. And yes, whilst I’ve been touched by the testimonies of God’s power, I’ve been even more deeply moved by the cries of individuals beseeching God to change them… to change their lives… to deliver them from addictions and all manner of brokenness or the destruction of their circumstances.

And these testimonies, these pleas for God’s intervention, have birthed afresh in my heart, wonder and amazement and adoration for a Holy God who could love as He loves, who could be so merciful and generous of heart that he would stoop down to rescue those who call upon him, whether in faith, or in desperation. What a mighty God we serve! What an awesome God we serve!

Privileged to serve:

And what an honour, privilege and responsibility we’ve been given as Christ’s disciples, as members of his Body to bring that message of hope and reconciliation to others. To come alongside our Heavenly Father as his co-labourers and use our gifts for his glory, and to serve those he brings across our pathway. What an honour to be entrusted to pray and intercede for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven… to command that the chains of Satan’s captives be broken!

Dear friends, I am positive that there are no addictions, afflictions, overwhelming cares, bondages, or besetting problems in heaven. Absolutely none!

So if that is the case, why are we not seeing more of God’s will being accomplished here on earth? Has God’s power diminished? Has the power resident in the name of Jesus somehow decreased?

Ridiculous even to ask, isn’t it? Of course it hasn’t!

So if the problem is not with God’s power, if it’s not with the name of Jesus, then what’s the problem? Who’s the problem?

That’s the question you and I have to ask ourselves honestly. This is the time to examine ourselves—not our colleagues, not our neighbours, not our leaders, not our pastors or politicians!

Why am I not experiencing the phenomenal power of God in my life, in the lives of my loved ones, in my work place, local fellowship, city and nation?

Heeding Christ’s Call to Prayer

Creflo Dollar once said that every failure in our lives is the result of a prayer failure.

Bearing this in mind, may I remind you of what Jesus said whilst he walked on this earth? He said that “…men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us not forget Creflo Dollar’s words. And let’s begin to be diligent in obeying Jesus’ uncompromising direction. Let us pray always and not lose heart.

Have a blessed and victorious weekend!

Love from,

Carol (aka Lady Cee)

 

Credit: the above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

 

A Tale of Mr Little, Nothing & No-one!

 

We all learn lessons in life. Some stick, some don’t. I have always learned more from rejection and failure than from acceptance and success.

Henry Rollins

 

Too many Christians have a commitment of convenience. They’ll stay faithful as long as it’s safe and doesn’t involve risk, rejection, or criticism. Instead of standing alone in the face of challenge or temptation, they check to see which way their friends are going.

Charles Stanley

 

Our self-perception determines our behavior. If we think we’re small, limited, inadequate creatures, then we tend to behave that way, and the energy we radiate reflects those thoughts no matter what we do. If we think we’re magnificent creatures with an infinite abundance of love and power to give, then we tend to behave that way. Once again, the energy around us reflects our state of awareness.

Marianne Williamson

 

Have you ever been made to feel like so high?

Perhaps it was your boss at work, or a colleague.

Whoever it was, they managed to convey their low opinion of you – that you are of little, or no significance – in their estimation that is! And I can bet the Enemy lost no time in confirming those thoughts.

In the Bible, we read of a character named Zacchaeus, who was not only little of physical stature but also little in the eyes of others. As a tax collector, he would have been rejected, scorned, even reviled. And so you can bet your life (don’t do it though!) that even the religious people of his day marginalised him and dismissed him as of little, or no consequence.

How about you?

Have there been people in your life who have shoved you to the margins of dignity or respectability?

And have circumstances or the way you are treated, reinforced within your mind any negative feelings you may have about yourself and your future?

 

STOP!

Don’t listen to the voice and lies of the Enemy. He used the same tactics on Jesus and will do the same to his followers. After all, Jesus himself said:

A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. (Matthew 10:24 NKJ)

 

In terms of how others were ill-treating him, listen to what Paul said of himself and his fellow-workers:

…being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now. (1 Corinthians 4:13 NKJ)

 

 As I wrote this, I suddenly had an epiphany.

You see I’d get upset with God because since He is in control, why is he allowing my ill-treatment and persecution? Why does He allow it to continue? And how does being constantly maligned and misrepresented bring glory to you Lord?

But what I, and what you need to realise, is that we occupy different roles and those roles carry different responsibilities and attract different challenges and trials.

• As an ambassador I am supposed to reflect the principles of his kingdom and promulgate its benefits.
• As his child, I am supposed to love and trust him, develop my relationship with him.
• As his disciple, I am supposed to pick up my cross daily and follow him.
• As a member of the Body of Christ, I am to live according to rules which differ from those of the secular world and adopt a mind-set that usually thinks contrary to popular opinion.
• As a servant of God I am required to serve him faithfully to the best of my ability.

Swimming against the tide of popular perceptions

It is precisely because we are swimming against the tide of popular perceptions and what is deemed as normal behaviour that we Christians can become a target.

Like Zacchaeus, we need to get out of the way of the crowd… raise ourselves above the environment of the status quo. However, realise that in doing so, the spotlight of other people’s malice or contempt will almost certainly focus upon you.

Now dear reader, if you have been, or are currently being mistreated, climb out of the box in which others have pigeon-holed you. Don’t passively accept or participate in those scenarios of victimisation or rejection, which other people have orchestrated for you.

In order for him to see Jesus, Zacchaeus’ strategy was to elevate himself above the general crowd, above his circumstances and the perception of others (i.e. his littleness of stature and character).

Dear friend, choosing to stay on the same level as the crowd means you will limit your perception of self… means you can only see this crowd… means you’ll become carried away by it or absorbed into its mentality… means you’ll only see yourself in relation to it.

Now, if you can relate to anything I’ve said in this post, allow me to counsel you today. Learn a lesson from Zacchaeus who chose to climb higher—and go do likewise!

Choose to be a victor!

Wishing you a peaceful and victorious week.

Love from

 

Carol (aka Lady Cee) ♥♥

 

CREDIT: all the above CC0 images come courtesy of Pixabay.com

Have you been blessed by this post? Why not share it with others? And would you be so kind as to let me know your response in a comment box below? I’d love to hear from you.

 

Living Life

LIFE flows like a river. No matter what gets in the way, it flows on. It’s something meant to be enjoyed and cherished. But it’s always changing. And we can’t stick too long in the past, because then we lose sight of the beautiful future. (source unknown)

 

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about LIFE: it goes on.
(Robert Frost)

 

My LIFE is my message. (Mahatma Gandhi)

 

Dost thou love LIFE? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff LIFE is made of.

(Benjamin Franklin)

 

LIFE is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
(Albert Einstein)

 

In the end, it’s not the years in your LIFE that count. It’s the LIFE in your years.

(Abraham Lincoln)

 

…I came that they may have and enjoy LIFE, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

(Jesus)

 

 

Wishing you inner peace, heartfelt joy and victory as you continue your life’s journey in 2019.

With love and best wishes,

Carol ♥♥

(aka Ladycee)

 

 

The above CC0 images come courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

 

Stop Regretting and Worrying — The Light in the Heart

No amount of regretting can change the past, and no amount of worrying can change the future. Nothing takes you away from dwelling in the past or worrying about the future like living in the present. Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

via Stop Regretting and Worrying — The Light in the Heart

Not Now God!

 

I recently learned about a children’s story titled: Not Now Benard, from a work colleague.

When I heard the plot, I was shocked. Could this really be a popular children’s story? And how on earth could it be considered suitable reading material for young children? Just hearing about it disturbed me. I was intrigued and had to check it out for myself.

After doing so, I became even more convinced that this was more a story (a warning in fact), to adults, particularly parents. I also thought that this bizarre tale held a salutary lesson for us as Christians.

Now, if you are not familiar with this tale, you can watch a 2min version of it here.

As Christians, is it possible that when we habitually make excuses about our prayerlessness, when we say we are too busy to pray, we are by default allowing a spiritual monster to devour our loved ones and devour aspects of our own lives?

When we say: “Not now God!” (either literally or by default), when we choose other priorities, we may be unwittingly opening our lives to the presence of that spiritual monster, Satan.

Just a thought.

 

Happy New Year – 2019

Friends and Followers,

Thank you for your support in 2018

Wishing you peace, victory and God’s utmost best for you in 2019

With best wishes,

Carol (aka Lady Cee)

♥♥♥

 

An A-Z Challenge – Looking back over 2018

 

 

I have to admit that when it comes to the idea of developing an attitude of gratitude, I’m a keen advocate. Particularly since God’s Word warns us that an unthankful attitude can cause us to have futile and foolish thoughts and worse, darken our hearts (see Romans 1:21).

No way do I want this to be my story!

I came across the idea of a Thankfulness challenge from Dainty M. See her post on this at: https://daintym.com/2018/12/30/think-thank-challenge-2018/

Dear friends and followers, there are some who expected to celebrate the New Year but did not even make it to the end of 2018. Remember – if it were not for the grace of God, this could so easily have been me, or you!

It’s easy to beat up on ourselves if we haven’t accomplished the goals we set out to achieve, or to entertain a bad attitude because life didn’t deliver the goodies we’d envisaged. As we prepare to close the door upon 2018 and move forward into a brand new year, let’s do so with a positive spirit. Let’s do so with a heart FULL of thanksgiving to our Father God, for his gracious goodness toward us.

And now for my personal take on this challenge, as I look back upon the year(s) gone by.

First and foremost, I am thankful that recent years have seen me develop and maintain an attitude of gratitude. It’s easy to go through life with a “poor me” mentality. Self-pity only blinds our eyes to the good aspects of our current circumstances.

I am grateful for unlimited access to books.  I love reading and in the past I have devoured books in the hundreds. This year I’ve read 13 non-fiction books and 7 novels. I’m supremely thankful for the various versions of the Bible available, and in keeping with my goal to read the entire Bible once per year, I have so far read 44 of the 66 books in the Amplified version (Yes, I am somewhat behind!). This makes a grand total of 64 books read this year, which have educated, entertained or empowered me. Yay!

I am thankful for Christmas. Not necessarily the baubles, gifts and glitter of the season but for the real reason we celebrate this event – the birth of Jesus Christ! If God had not sent him into this world, I shudder to think about where you and I would be, as spiritual outcasts doomed to damnation.

I am grateful to God for deliverance. Not just for the instant deliverance from the power of sin, received when I entrusted my life to Christ and chose to become his disciple, but also for daily deliverance from the power of the Enemy unleashed within and against my life and the lives of my loved ones.

I cannot thank God enough for his generosity of heart in granting us the opportunity of eternal life. I’m referring here not just to the assurance of life after death, a glorious future in heaven where neither tears nor trials will exist, but also to the God-quality type of life we can enjoy now, right here upon this earth, as an heir of salvation.

I am hoping for many things in 2019 and beyond, should God spare my life! I am therefore thankful for faith (the substance of things hoped for). I am grateful to God that even if my faith is as small as a mustard seed, it is enough to secure my miracle, or a significant breakthrough. It is sufficient for me to be able to withstand the wiles of the devil and emerge as a victorious overcomer!

During the latter part of this year, I have enjoyed the wonderful ministry of two individuals: (Joel Osteen and Rabbi Schneider).  I am so, so thankful for godly ministers such as these two men and the positive spiritual input they have contributed to my life.

I am thankful for the presence and assistance of the Holy Spirit. What a priceless and precious resource to have in one’s life! When I don’t know how or what to pray, when I have no idea what I should do in a particular situation, when I need the back-up of a spiritual heavy weight, guess whom I turn to. That’s right – my confidante and helper – the eminent Holy Spirit!

I am thankful God did not make us robots but blessed us with imagination. Now in the past, I have used this to my detriment, imagining mostly negative scenarios. But what a blessing to be able to use this ability in pursuit of our gifts and calling! What a blessing to be able to use this gift as a visualisation tool for success… to be able to use this in our creative endeavours. Recently, I wrote a poem, Autumn’s Soliloquy (click here to read), which I could not have done without the use of my creative imagination.

And how can I not be grateful for Jesus? He is my Lord and Saviour. He is the author and finisher of my faith. And it is only through him and because of him that I am able to reign over troublesome circumstances.

I am thankful for the gift of kindness. This year, I’ve been on the receiving end of beautiful acts of kindness from two of my sisters, who decided to celebrate me and whom God used to both tell and show me that I am “special” in his sight; as well as through prophetic words of encouragement received from a blogger (meet Holly), someone I have never met! Isn’t God amazing?

I am thankful for love. That is, God’s love! Agapē love. A brand of love that is extravagant and extraordinary. An unconditional love. A love that has been extended to me without reservation. Many people have gone out of their way to show me their disdain. But the one who has every right to shun me, has lovingly embraced me, welcomes me into his presence and wants to associate with me. I can only reiterate with heartfelt gratitude the lyrics of Graham Kendrick’s song, in which he so aptly observes: Such love!

I am thankful for precious memories. Having suffered the loss of my mother two years ago, I am grateful for those memories of when she was here on earth with us. Cherished memories of wonderful times at Christmas and birthdays which she created, are now stored within my memory bank alongside memories of her faithful prayer life, which challenges me to do better in my own spiritual journey.

I am thankful for new opportunities. Every day is a fresh chance to draw closer to God, to become a better version of myself as a disciple of Christ, to improve my relationships, to conquer adverse circumstances.

I am thankful for the various occasions that grant me an opportunity to dress up, meet with family members and friends, or host dinner parties at my home. Concerning the latter, I guess I’m more like Martha in the Bible, who became hot and bothered by all the preparation, rather than sitting and enjoying the company of her visitor. I also love those special celebrations, which enable me to participate in an atmosphere of praise and worship to our Father God. And I’m deeply thankful that I live in a country where I can enjoy such occasions without fear of persecution.

Without the shadow of a doubt, I know I could not survive, or thrive, without Prayer. I am thankful indeed for the opportunity to communicate with my Father God, at any time, without the need to make an appointment, or go through a third party. I am thankful for the privilege of having direct access to the ear and heart of the most powerful being in the universe.  

I am grateful for the ability to quench my thirst – whether literally (I live in a country where I can pour myself a clean glass of water to drink whenever I wish), or metaphorically (I can consult an expert or avail myself of the vast knowledge on the Internet) at the click of my mouse.

I am thankful for Rick Warren’s manifesto on the meaning of life, as revealed in his book, The Purpose-driven Life. This year’s re-reading of Warren’s 40-day spiritual guide has been a huge blessing to me, as I’m reminded of God’s five-fold purpose for my life.

I am thankful to God for a sound mind. There are so many people suffering from depression, or dementia, or some form of mental illness. There are also those of us who ordinarily believe that we are of a sound mind, yet we are being driven by different debilitating fears. I thank God for the lessons he is teaching me regarding maintaining a sound mind.

Today and every day, I am thankful for the Truth of God’s Word. The word of family and friends, line managers, national leaders and world rulers (even our own words), can prove fickle, untrustworthy. God’s Word is stable, fixed and unchanging. He will not break his covenant, or alter the word that has gone out from his lips (Psalm 89:34).

I appreciate and am grateful for the UCB Devotional, Word For Today (you can check out the audio and written versions of this resource at:  https://www.ucb.co.uk/word-for-today). As anyone familiar with my two blogs: A Purpose-driven achiever and Women of Warfare! can confirm, I highly recommend this spiritual resource written by Bob and Debby Gass and often quote from these within my posts.

I’m grateful for the support of various bloggers, such as Shell Vera, who regularly leave a comment in response to my posts. As a blogger, comments are like gold dust. They are the only means by which I can receive valuable feedback to my posts. Equal thanks goes to those who regularly drop by and “like” my posts. You are a treasure!

I never thought I’d find myself uttering these words but I am thankful for my work. It is a job, rather than a career, but I am thankful that through this position, I’ve been able to help pay bills, maintain the roof over our head, enjoy great holidays and give towards the work of God’s kingdom.

I thank God for the X-chromosome that produced me. As Psalm 139 accurately and definitively declares: I am fearfully and wonderfully made! It’s reassuring to know that God purposed I should be born, even before my conception. It is so awe-inspiring to know that God planned every single detail of my conception from the parents who would raise me, to my geographical location. What an amazing God!

I’m not ashamed to admit it. I’m thankful to God for YouTube! Through this channel I’ve discovered motivational speakers such as: Brendon Burchard, Jim Rohn and Les Brown.

Finally, I am grateful for the zealous individuals who come across my pathway whether in the Body of Christ or in secular situations. I am thankful for the inspirational messages of people such as the Apostle Paul, TD Jakes and Maya Angelou.

Thank you dear Father God, for ALL that you have done within, for and through me, in 2018.

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

Prayer Gem 15

 

  

To pray is to change. It’s the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we’re not willing to change we will soon abandon prayer.

(Richard Foster)

***     ***     ***

 

Question:

Have you sent Jesus your knee-mail today?

 

 

The Art of Anxiety

 

A motivational video I’d been listening to earlier this week mentioned how worry leads to fear. And fear, as the Bible tells us, can lead to torment (1 John 4:18).

FEAR

False Evidence Appearing Real

Do you struggle with fear? Do you have a degree in the art of anxiety?

Let me be honest with you and admit that fear has been an issue I struggle with. Sometimes I win the battle, other times I lose. But I’m determined in my heart to become consistently victorious in this area.

Having said that, let me confess that this week I suffered a mega anxiety attack. The sudden, intense and overwhelming sense of hopelessness combined with an unrelenting barrage of negative thoughts had me questioning my spiritual status, even questioning my sanity. It was not a pleasant experience.

Now as would-be overcomers choosing to walk in victory, incessant worry and negative fears need to be mastered. However, if we are to gain mastery over immobilising thoughts and feelings, we need to change our thinking, since irrational fears are often a product of our own imagination.

Let me give you an example. Years ago before I committed my life to Christ, I used to watch horror films. After watching The Exorcist, my thoughts focused on what had happened in the movie and fears arose which kept me wide awake.

Whilst I lay in bed terrified, my over-active imagination converted every inexplicable sound, every dark shadow into a potential visitation by an evil force, which was out to possess me! I suffered months of needless worry, stress and sleepless nights because of my fears – false evidence appearing real!

When it comes to fears and anxiety, the Apostle Paul advises:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6 NKJV).

 

Paul’s words imply that when it comes to our concerns or the difficult challenges of life, we have two choices – we can worry or we can pray!

So what’s your first instinct?

Is it to worry, or is it to pray?

Let’s take a moment to hear what others have to say on this subject:

 

Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.
― Corrie Ten Boom 

 

Become a worry-slapper. Treat frets like mosquitoes. Do you procrastinate when a bloodsucking bug lights on your skin? ‘I’ll take care of it in a moment.’ Of course you don’t! You give the critter the slap it deserves. Be equally decisive with anxiety.

Max Lucado

 

Easier said than done right?

Dear friend, allow me to encourage you today. If you’ve struggled in this area – don’t give up! Press on until you experience your breakthrough. Meanwhile, if there is something troubling your heart and robbing you of peace of mind, here’s a prayer for you.

 

Taken from: http://rachelwojo.com/a-prayer-for-when-you-feel-worried/

Have a blessed weekend!

 

CREDIT – The above CC0 image comes courtesy of John Hain at Pixabay.com

A Hallelujah Party

 

 

As most of you are aware, every October 31^st people get dressed up as ghouls and ghosts or other macabre figures and celebrate Halloween.

I realise this is a controversial topic for most Christians.

There are those who believe it is a diabolical tradition with pagan roots. There are those who have done their research and recognise that whilst this custom may have had pagan origins, the church reclaimed the day for the purpose of Christian celebration. And then there are those who feel it is just a harmless bit of fun—not realising that the commercial façade presented to the world is just a cover… that innocent people can become drawn into a deadly deception.

If you would like to read more about the origins of Halloween, please check the following links:

http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract10.html

http://logosresourcepages.org/Holidays/halloween.htm

I personally do not celebrate Halloween. But as the holiday has grown popular and become more commercialised over the years, it has kind of made me both sad and alarmed that Christians generally do not seem to do anything in response to counteract, or oppose this underworld of darkness.

An influential political figure and orator once wisely observed:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Edmund Burke

 

Well dear friends, my concern over this matter and Burke’s challenging words set me thinking and began to stir an ever-increasing desire within my heart. May I share it with you?

Borrowing a famous statement from Martin Luther King Jnr let me here and now say:

I have a dream!

I dream of Christians all over this world using this date to hold a Hallelujah Party. I dream of people all over the globe planning get-togethers in the name of our most illustrious Lord. I dream of Kingdom saints offering shouts of ecstatic praise and dancing with gay abandon, just as King David did when he brought back the ark to the City of David.

I dream of this Hallelujah Party celebration becoming a world-wide established custom, to the extent that costumes, or other paraphernalia are made, sold and purchased in celebration of our King of kings and Lord of lords. After all, he is most worthy – is he not?

In Revelations 4:6-11, we read about a Hallelujah Party that is in constant process. Living creatures, along with twenty four elders bow before God’s throne worshipping Him, day and night. The entire ambience in heaven seems to be one of exuberant praise and reverential worship.

Those of us who are born-again Christians expect one day to leave this world and spend an eternity in heaven—so wouldn’t it be prudent if we donned our praise & prayer party shoes and got practicing now, using 31^st October as an official date for a world-wide hullabaloo?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the people of God took back this date with a vengeance so that the world sat up and noticed?

Wouldn’t it be marvellous if we Christians stopped shunning this date, thereby allowing all kinds of spiritual atrocities to take place unchallenged under the guise of “harmless fun”?

Wouldn’t it be something if the world of satanic darkness encountered the awesome light of our King Jesus through the praise and prayers of His saints of light, so that those who practice dark arts became completely immobilized… so that those who engage in satanic deeds encounter a supernatural resistance of the godly kind?

In fact, wouldn’t it be fantabulous if constant and jubilant praises to God rang out all over the world on this date, whether in church settings or family living rooms, or public spaces?

My Bible tells me that praise stills the Enemy (Psalm 8:2).

My Bible also tells me that when the ark of God (representing his presence) came into the camp and the children of Israel shouted with joy, the pagans around heard and trembled (1 Samuel 4:5-7).

Again, my Bible tells me that God is enthroned in, or inhabits the praises of his people (Psalm 22:3).

So wouldn’t it be amazing if Christians realised the truth regarding the powerful weapon they are able to release into the spirit realm when they open their mouths in praise to God? And wouldn’t it be amazing if the revelation of this truth compelled us to do so fearlessly, in faith and with fervour, and in so doing perplexed the works of the Enemy?

That’s my dream.

What say you?

 

NB: The above quote from Edmund Burke was found at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/edmund_burke_377528

CREDIT: The above CC0 images come courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Progress Check – Where are you on your journey?

Hello Peoples!

How are you doing?

I trust you are enjoying an abundant life, enjoying your privileged relationship with God, and making good progress on your spiritual journey.

At the beginning of this year, I wrote a 7-part series which focused on your journey – the journey you will take from 1 January to 31 December 2018. I asked you to think about what this journey will look like.

Will it be a journey of frustration, or a journey of faith?

Will you emerge from this year’s journey as a victorious overcomer, or will circumstances hold you captive and make, or keep you a victim?

It may seem harsh to hear what I’m about to say but I hope you will hear me objectively and realise that I speak from a heart that genuinely wants the best for you.

So, what am I about to say?

That whether or not you reach the end of your journey this year as a victorious overcomer, will be your own choice!

And so my dear spiritual buddy, what are you choosing? Are you choosing to obey God’s Word or spending too much time listening to the voice of the Enemy? Or are your ears constantly attuned to the voice of secular opinion?

Are you choosing to die to self-serving desires, or to live a life which honours and glorifies God?

Are you praying or complaining? Praying or pity-partying?

Dear reader, whether by intention or whether by default, your decisions, your mind-set, your habitual actions will determine the success or failure of your spiritual journey this year.

I close with this beautiful quote I discovered today:

 

Whatever your storybook carries within its pages, own it with love, courage and compassion. Remember that you can change your story at any time – nothing is fixed and we all have free will. We should not seek to love someone else’s journey more than we love our own; the swords of comparison are sharp and cutting to our soul and innermost values. We are all designed unique with our own original paths to walk through; we lose momentum and our natural impulses for creativity and progression when we focus our energy on other people.
― Christine Evangelou, Rocks Into Roses: Life Lessons and Inspiration for Personal Growth

 

Have a blessed weekend!

ooooOOOOOooooo

 

In case you’d like to remind yourself of my message to you at the beginning of this year, or if you are a new visitor to Women of Warfare! here is the link to my post referred to above (click here).

 

Comfort For Your Journey

 

Good morning lovely people!

I came across this beautiful quote a few moments ago and just had to share it with you all.

Thanks for taking the time to read and have a blessed and God-flavoured day!

With love,

Lady Cee ♥♥♥

 

If we never experience the chill of a dark winter, it is very unlikely that we will ever cherish the warmth of a bright summer’s day. Nothing stimulates our appetite for the simple joys of life more than the starvation caused by sadness or desperation. In order to complete our amazing life journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse. 

― Anthon St. Maarten, Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny

 

The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Jose Antonio Alba at Pixabay.com

Is It Time…?

 

Dear reader,

Is it…

TIME to act?

TIME to admit you screwed up?

TIME to confess?

TIME to repent?

TIME to re-commit your life to Christ?

TIME to listen to your godly conscience?

TIME to change your attitudes?

TIME to put away childish thoughts and ways?

TIME to forgive?

TIME to love those who dislike or despise you?

TIME to start abiding in a position of faith?

TIME to renew your mind?

TIME to care about others and reach out?

TIME to live victoriously?

 

Then dear reader, it is TIME TO PRAY!

 

There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on earth (Ecclesiastes 3:1 – The Message)

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

Whose Report Will You Believe?

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true,

Whatever things are noble,

Whatever things are just,

Whatever things are pure,

Whatever things are lovely,

Whatever things are of a good report,

If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

(Philippians 4:8 NKJV)

 

Whilst going through my mother’s belongings, in order to clear her home in readiness to place on the market, I came across an old school report for one of my sisters. It was not a good report.

It put me in mind of several successful entrepreneurs or historical public figures, who received negative school reports or hurtful comments from their teachers.

They were dismissed as not educable, or told that their prospects were limited, even advised they would not amount to anything.

Those teachers were proved wrong in the case of Les Brown, Richard Branson and Albert Einstein.

If someone has spoken negative words over your life, if someone has assessed you in a negative light, if someone’s wrong estimation of you has hurt, offended, or immobilised you, I’d like to encourage you today dear reader. You do not have to accept what that person has said as the last word.

God’s estimation of you and God’s Word to you and over your life, is what counts.

He has said that:

• You are fearfully and wonderfully made
• You are chosen and precious
• You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you
• You need not fear or be afraid because He is with you.

Read God’s Word, so that you are familiar with what he had said about and to you, so you are aware of how he feels about you.

Accept God’s Word. He is not a liar, nor is he ever going to change his mind or act contrary to what he has said.

Speak God’s Word to and over yourself. His Word is alive and active, so release its power to work within your life TODAY. Don’t wait for tomorrow, or for a more convenient time, or for when you “feel in the mood”.

Choose to be a victor!

WoW followers and visitors, I wish you a victorious week.

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

You are Served!

 

 

Ever been watching a film or TV drama when someone going about their business is approached by a stranger, or hears a knock on the door? They are asked their name and when they reply, an envelope is thrust into their hands whilst they are told: “You are served!”

I don’t know your name but I know you are either a follower or visitor to my site. And since you are, I suspect you have come for a reason. Whoever you are, and wherever you may be, I have a message for you. You are served!

You’ve been served with a summons to pray… to build yourself up on your most holy faith… to walk confidently in life as a victorious over-comer.

So what’s your response?

Don’t delay – take action TODAY!

And before you rush off, may I invite you to visit God’s throne-room?

 

Women of Warfare followers and visitors, have an abundantly blessed week!

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

 

Quit Mourning and Move On!

 

Are you living with regret over the time you’ve wasted, the opportunities you’ve squandered, the sins you’ve committed, and the relationships you’ve destroyed? Regret is a waste of time, unless it teaches you wisdom and fuels your resolve to do better next time. And as long as you’re breathing, there will be a ‘next time’.

Bob and Debbie Gass (*UCB Word For Today)

 

I reckon there is not one person amongst us who has not done something they’ve later regretted, who has not committed a sin of which they now feel ashamed, who has not fallen short of God’s impeccable standards.

Have you done something you hope will never be discovered?

Have you entertained uncharitable thoughts about your enemies?

Have you said something you wish you could take back?

Quit mourning about it and move on!

 

David – moved on after his sin with Bathsheba

Paul – moved on after his persecution of and collusion over the death of many Christians

Peter – moved on after his utter denial of Jesus.

 

From Micah 7:18-19, we learn that God has cast our sins into the sea of forgetfulness. It is only Satan, or we ourselves, who return, throw in those rods of condemnation and begin fishing.

Women of Warfare followers and visitors, in order to shake off a victim mentality, in order to walk as a victorious overcomer, we need to take a leaf out of Paul’s book. Listen to what he says:

…this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV)

 

And so dear friends, my encouragement and counsel for you today is: quit mourning, quit fishing, quit beating yourself up about past mistakes and move on!

Remember, Father-God loves YOU unconditionally!

 

SELF-SCRUTINY

Are you obsessing over spilt milk?

 

*Free postal copies of UCB Word For Today (UK and Republic of Ireland only) are available from: FREEPOST RLTX-ABUL-GRAR, United Christian Broadcasters, Westport Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 4JF

For the online version visit: UCB

 

I Appreciate You!

 

Hello old friends and new followers,

As those who  have followed me for some time and regularly read my posts are aware, I love to acknowledge new followers.

I don’t always get around to thanking you all in person as much as I’d like to do, but I don’t want anyone thinking you have gone unnoticed.

No way!

I appreciate you!

I’m honoured when you take the time to read and engage with me regarding my posts. I hope you will continue to find them a benefit and blessing to your life.

So, this post is in honour of you all, both old and new. This post serves as a vehicle to express my heartfelt appreciation. I enjoy my exchanges with those who interact and hope our relationship will continue. I pray God will continue to use my words to inspire or challenge – not only you but also myself. And may He use these posts to motivate us as a community to achieve, grow and live our best lives!

Wishing you all a blessed and victorious week ahead.

With sincere love and gratitude,

Carol

(aka Lady Cee)

 

Have you been blessed by my posts? If so, please don’t hesitate to leave me a comment (I just love the encouragement) and also feel free to share them with your social media contacts.

 

CREDIT: The above image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Enjoy God – Enjoy Life!

 

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THEME: ENJOY

• To find pleasure in something
• To have, experience or have the benefit of something good

 (Chambers 21^st Century Dictionary)

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Have you heard of Joyce Meyer?

She is a woman of God, who has a highly successful ministry, attracting both men and women. But my main reason for flagging her up to you today, is the marketing strapline for her daily broadcasts—Enjoying Every-Day Life. 

One of my goals this year—which I’d like to be an ongoing goal for as long as I live—is to glorify God. Well since last month, I’ve expanded that goal to both glorifying and enjoying God.

As Christians, I sometimes feel we can take ourselves too seriously, or we can be negative and ungrateful. Even, I’m sorry to say, we can be a most miserable set of people.

I don’t say that to upset anyone, to criticise or condemn. I say it because that is what I’ve observed, what I have at times experienced through interaction with other Christians, and have sometimes seen in my own life, and so I point the finger at myself as well.

We are not all of us enjoying life. We are waiting for better times. Waiting for breakthroughs. Waiting for something-or-the-other!

Unfortunately, that wait can extend into years, decades and possibly for ever!

Why does this happen?

I believe it’s because we have unrealistic expectations! Because we have deluded ourselves or been deceived by the Enemy, into thinking that a good life, an enjoyable life is one devoid of problems; a life free from trials and tribulations, an idealistic life that is always self-gratifying.

We think this because we have a God for whom nothing is impossible. We think this because we believe and know he is a miracle-working God. We think this because we are aware that God loves us unconditionally and has declared that we are blessed.

So, if this is the case, why should we encounter defeat or difficulties? Why should we tolerate a situation where it seems God has allowed LIFE to kick away our carefully laid plans and cherished dreams? Why shouldn’t we expect the Godhead and the heavenly hosts of angels to come to our rescue the moment we cry out?

Why?

And whilst we wonder and take umbrage, or secretly sulk because our lives didn’t turn out to be the pretty, problem-free packages we’d ordered, or our prayers weren’t answered according to our schedule, or our undesirable circumstances magically and permanently resolved, we choose to forget that Jesus warned: “…in me you will have peace. In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33).

We choose to forget that Peter said: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12).

We choose to forget that Paul described his experience as a servant of God in the following terms: “…being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the off-scouring of all things until now” (1 Corinthians 12-13).

Perhaps being brought up on a diet of “happy ever after” fairy tales, or vicariously engaging with the ideal life of Hollywood movies, or emotionally subscribing to romantic scenarios in novels, became a contributing factor to our unrealistic expectations.

We conveniently forget that even in such stories, there are conflicts, or an adversary that needs to be overcome first—before the happy ending is revealed!

And as Christians, of course we’ve read about the destiny of God’s people. We’ve read about God’s promise of a bright, blissful future. We’ve even perhaps responded to an altar-call which promised: when you come to Jesus, everything will be all right!

Then, two months, two years, two decades down the line, we are still waiting for everything to be all right, for all our problems to magically disappear for ever, for life to become absolutely amazing, to be one unadulterated high of blessing and favour and success—but until that happens, we feel we can’t actually enjoy life as it is now, with all its fretful, stressful queries, concerns and frustrations.

We enjoy life’s ups but not its downs. We enjoy the highs of our relationship with God but not the lows. We respond to personal circumstances according to the dictates of our thoughts and emotions, rather than the directions of God’s Word. And so, in the final analysis, no—we are not enjoying every-day life!

Dear reader, please understand me. I am not advocating that we go around as a “happy-clappy” bunch of people pretending all is well, if clearly that’s not the case.

I am however, wanting to draw your attention to the fact that when you examine Jesus’ words to the seven churches in Revelation, he clearly indicates that the promise of a future destiny in the new heaven and the new earth, the promise of a pain-free, problem free life, will be the reward of those who overcome.

Now that word (overcome), tells us right there that we are bound to face circumstances where not everything-in-the-garden-will-be-green-and-rosy. And, if that were not the case, how will we learn to overcome? What challenge will there be to overcome?

Dear reader, even God’s dream of a wonderful, harmonious world in which he enjoys a rich relationship with set-apart individuals, who’d commit to him and lovingly obey him, was (and continues to be) thwarted again and again. Not just for a few years. Not just for several decades. But for centuries!

We see evidence of this thwarted dream again and again throughout the entire Bible. We see it with Adam and Eve. We see it with Sodom and Gomorrah and the antediluvian world.

We see it with God’s own chosen people, the Children of Israel. We see it with the Pharisees, Scribes and Sadducees, who were meant to be waiting for the promised Messiah. And sadly, we see it at times in our own lives.

It is only when we come to the book of Revelation and read about the end of this present world, as we currently know it, that we’re given a prophetic picture of an era when God finally achieves his dream of a devoted, holy and worshipping community within the context of a happy, harmonious world, free from Satan’s diabolical influence.

Meanwhile, dear ones, God has chosen to enjoy us NOW as his children, as his heirs, as his precious Son’s disciples, even though we often fail to measure up to his ideal.

Now if God can do that for us, can we not do the same for him? Can we not use his precious spiritual resources, the benefits of our salvation package and the promise of a brighter future, of an eternal destiny in his glorious presence (where we’ll enjoy the beauty and perfection of his re-created world)—can we not use these factors to enjoy him NOW, enjoy the position to which we’ve been elevated, even enjoy our every-day lives regardless of the battles we face, knowing our victory is guaranteed, knowing our eternal destiny with Him is assured?

Should we not practice and consolidate an attitude of joy now, so we are in good stead for that time which is to come when Jesus himself will welcome us and usher us into his presence, where he will bid us to “…enter into the joy of your Lord”? (Matthew 25:21, 23).

Dear Women of Warfare followers and visitors, I’m convinced that this is God’s heart for you and for me and therefore this is my heart’s desire for you and for myself.

Let’s make a decision today that throughout this year and beyond, we will ENJOY our relationship with our Father-God and ENJOY life. Yes, let’s determine in our hearts to enjoy our redeemed status and enjoy the life for which Christ paid so very high a price.

And if you are looking for ideas on how to enjoy life more, check out the link.

With love and best wishes,

Carol

(aka Lady Cee) ♥♥

 

This Week’s Prayer Focus:

Let’s focus our thoughts on what God has done for us – not on those issues where we feel let down, or disappointed, or even sceptical towards God because he hasn’t come through with what we wanted, or has not chosen to act within our expected time-frame.

Let’s pray for one another that we will embrace a new attitude of gratitude… that we will reflect upon, remember and rejoice over the fact that Jesus willingly sacrificed his life for us, so we may enjoy an abundant and liberated life.

And, my dear friends, before entering the battlefield of prayer, please don’t forget to put on your spiritual armour.

 

PRAYER:

Father God,

As King David so accurately observed:

What is man that You are mindful of him

Or the son of man that You take care of him?

 And I would add: Who am I that you should choose to adopt me, care for me and cherish a relationship with me? I am both humbled and grateful.

Father-God, my heart’s desire is to glorify you and to enjoy you in my every-day life.

I thank you for setting me apart for your service. I thank you for all that you’ve freely bestowed upon my life, so that I might enjoy the benefits and liberty of your kingdom.

Father-God, help me to focus on what you have done for me—not on what you haven’t! Help me to enjoy life as you meant me to enjoy it. And help me to honour you with the things I habitually say, think and do.

Lord God, may all those who examine me, see a good, great and gracious God who provides for, protects and promotes me. May I in turn, showcase a godly confidence and strength of character, as a result of me walking in the ‘Fear of the Lord’.

Cause me to maintain my confession of faith and to exhibit an uncompromising commitment to pursuing my destiny in Christ. By the enabling power of your Holy Spirit, touch me afresh, so I may experience an increasing fervour for the things pertaining to your kingdom.

Father God, send forth your precious Holy Spirit to embrace and comfort those amongst my visiting readers and also those within our individual spheres of influence, who are depressed or discouraged, who mourn for whatever reason, who are disillusioned with life.

Heal the hearts and hurts of those who’ve become embittered. Strengthen those who are emotionally or spiritually weak. Cause the joy of the Lord to become their source of strength. May inexplicable peace saturate their souls and may godly hope revive their dreams and expectations and act as a spiritual anchor for their souls.

I ask this in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

© Carol Hind

 

Women of Warfare followers and visitors be blessed and enjoy this coming week!

 

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Sunday’s Supplications

Sunday’s Supplications invites you to not only read the posts but also participate in the prayers. Each fortnight, I hope to introduce a new theme and prayer focus. Why not become a part of the WoW! community by participating in these prayers? Let’s pray for ourselves and for each other. Let’s obey God’s command to watch and pray for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18)

Please note, you do not have to be a blogger to join this praying community.

 

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CREDIT: The above CC0 Image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

A Glorious Perspective

 

 

Everybody born comes from the Creator trailing wisps of glory. We come from the Creator with creativity. I think that each one of us is born with creativity.

Maya Angelou

 

What a powerful statement and observation from Maya Angelou!

Well, here’s another, which I declare today with faith and in boldness.

I am God’s masterpiece!

This fact makes me special in his eyes.

Now who creates something of beauty, purpose or worth and then doesn’t feel proud of their achievement? Who utilises their gift, their creative ability and then doesn’t feel any satisfaction about what they’ve created?

No one!  Unless you are a mega-obsessive perfectionist. Which is certainly not me!  How about you?

 

The Eye of My Beholder

Well, God is no different. I have the book of Genesis to verify that. Whenever God created anything, he declared that it was good. Very good. He was pleased with his efforts. So I have a pretty good idea that since God is the one who created me, then he was (and still is) pleased with his creative masterpiece. And His pronouncement over me—that I am good, i.e. fit for purpose, beneficial and worthy—still stands.

Dear reader, aren’t we the same?

Don’t we feel a sense of pride and satisfaction whenever we have created something? I know I do. When I’ve written an article, short story or blog post, when I’ve made an outfit, or some item of home furnishing, when I’ve cooked a delicious meal or baked a moist, moreish cake – I’m usually pleased with the result. Mega-pleased! And this is particularly so when I create something using my God-given abilities.

 

Seeing Self from God’s Perspective

Let me reiterate.

I am God’s masterpiece!

The King James’ Bible puts it this way:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

(Ephesians 2:10 NKJV)

The Greek word for “workmanship” is poiema. We are therefore God’s poem or poetic masterpiece.

Isn’t that precious?

I wonder what difference it would make to our self-esteem, to the way we live our lives, if we were to truly embrace this concept and see ourselves as valuable works of art?

Now unlike the owners of priceless art collections, God doesn’t hide us away. He’s not afraid to show us off, to share us with others. In fact, as the above scripture clearly reveals, he has created us for good works, so we can be of benefit and a blessing to others.

So the question is: are we living up to his expectations?

I am his poem. In his sight, I am perfect. Beautiful. A wonderful creation. And I bring him pleasure. Furthermore, I have the capacity to bring him more pleasure when I glorify him.

 

A Glorious Perspective

To glorify God is to showcase his splendour, majesty and might. And I glorify him when I live up to his expectations. I glorify him when I create and when I share my creative ability with others. I glorify him when I recognise and act as the person whom he created and called me to be—a dynamic believer, an obedient child of God, a committed disciple of Christ, a purpose-driven achiever and a victorious overcomer.

Dear reader, cast your mind back and reflect on your experiences to date. Haven’t you enjoyed and taken pleasure in different aspects of God’s creation—the beauty of various landscapes, the abundance of this world’s marvellous fauna and flora, the magic and wonder of the universe and the awe-inspiring features of our creator’s glorious handiwork, such as volcanic mountains or magnificent waterfalls?

And haven’t you appreciated and taken similar pleasure in the creativity of others—such as a beautifully sung song, such as a gorgeously fashioned item of clothing, such as well-written books, created for pleasure, for education, for personal development?

I am God’s creative masterpiece.

As I reflect upon this wonderful truth, I realise that I’ve robbed people by failing to write in the past.

Just think! If I’d been diligent, discerning and disciplined enough in years gone by, if I’d written faithfully over the past decades or so, if I’d consistently written books and articles and teaching materials, many people could be benefitting from those works today.

But I didn’t.

And so, I robbed not only myself of the pleasure of creation and the satisfaction of serving others but I robbed God of opportunities to showcase his glory. And I robbed people of the pleasure and benefit they could have enjoyed and experienced had I developed my potential, had I indulged and explored my creativity, had I shared my gifting.

Wow! What an eye opener.

I am truly sorry God.

And my recent epiphany, this startling revelation, makes me even more determined to do better in the future—to acquire the necessary discipline and be diligent in seeking to maximise my potential. It makes me even more desirous to live my best life. To serve others. To glorify God.

 

Re-affirming Your Worth

I say it again with absolute conviction. With awe. With wonder. With a new sense of responsibility.

I am God’s poetic masterpiece.

I am valuable. I have the capacity to bring pleasure to others. To share of that which God has invested within me, in order to encourage, educate and equip. In order to make diminutive, ravaged or unfulfilled lives bigger, better, richer.

Dear reader, you too are God’s creative masterpiece. You too have been created to bring him glory. Is that your aim and desire in life? Are you seeking to be the best YOU, you can possibly be? Are you seeking to develop and grow, to avail yourself of God’s spiritual resources, so you can arise and shine and radiate the glory of God?

Have you determined in your heart to reign over your circumstances, to walk victoriously in life, to enjoy your status as God’s creative masterpiece?

All around us we see, experience and enjoy the fruit of our Father-God’s creative endeavours. Can we look at our own lives and say the same about ourselves?

Are we creating an atmosphere of joy, peace and harmony in our homes? Are we creating the beauty of unity in our relationships, work situations and church fellowships? Are we using our abilities, knowledge, skills and talent for the betterment of others? And if, or when we are, are we seeking self-glory or God’s glory?

 

Life’s daily challenge

My dear followers and visitors, today and every day, we are given a fresh opportunity to use the creative power of God’s Word to transform ourselves, our lives and the environment within our own sphere of influence… to call forth light, abundance and fruitfulness… to sow seeds of blessing… to minister to the pressing needs of our fellow-human beings.

The challenge is, are we seeing from God’s perspective? Do we care enough to act, to create, to exercise dominion, to reproduce, to showcase his glory?

There are only two people who know the answers to these searching questions—you dear reader, and God!

 

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CREDIT: The above CCO image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

 

Prayer Gem 14

An Appointment With God

 

…prayer—for any of us—can start out as simply an obedient appointment, an act of discipline, showing up in that prayer closet because it’s the appointed time that we said we’d be there.

(From: FERVENT by Priscilla Shirer)

 

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Question:

Have you sent Jesus your knee-mail today?

 

 

CREDIT: The above CCO image comes courtesy of Gerd Altmann at Pixabay.com

 

 

The Age-old Secret to Success in Life

Don’t gain the world and lose your soul; wisdom is better than silver or gold.

Bob Marley

 

A Desirable Attribute

Have you ever been faced with a situation where you need to make a crucial decision and didn’t know what to do?

Or perhaps you’ve had to make a choice between two favourable opportunities and were not sure how to decide.

Or perhaps someone has confided a personal problem and is looking to you for counsel. How should you advise?

Or maybe a feud with a next-door neighbour, or a family member, or a work colleague, has escalated out of control and you are wondering what to do.

In all of the above examples and in numerous other life scenarios, the instinctive ability to know what to do or say, is desirable, even perhaps, essential.

Making the right decision can mean peace and harmony in your life, emotional well-being and self-assurance.

In a nutshell, we need wisdom!

 

Tap the Source of Spiritual Wisdom

So let me ask you dear reader, when faced with a crossroads, how often have you been bewildered, found yourself stressed beyond measure, been afraid of making the wrong decision, resorted to dubious means or desperate measures, in order to arrive at a solution?

As children of God, as disciples of Christ, we have access to an impeccable brand of wisdom—the wisdom of God!

Now because the wisdom of this world often stands at odds to the wisdom of God, it behoves us to habitually seek this godly wisdom, with diligence.

Why?

Because the God who created you, who knows you so well, who is aware of your thoughts and intentions and even what you are about to say, is the best person to advise, counsel and direct you.

Because Father God knows both the beginning and the end of a matter, and knows how it will affect your future.

Because God, who knows the plans he has already set in place for your future, who sees all things and knows all things, is in complete control. So who better to ask? Who better to guide?

Fortunately, this brand of supernatural wisdom is not inaccessible. Lady Wisdom herself calls out to us.

Perplexity or Prudence?

Yet, do we always recognise wisdom when she speaks? And on such occasions when we’ve clearly heard her voice, do we embrace her counsel and pay heed to her directions, or do we ignore that voice because it runs counter to what we really want to do and then suffer the consequences of making a wrong choice?

 

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.

Confucius

 

The book of Proverbs portrays Lady Wisdom as someone who stands at the intersections of life, at the crossroads of choice, calling and beckoning to all who will listen (see Proverbs 1:20-21).

Furthermore,  God generously invites us to simply ask for wisdom and  promises to provide.

Now King Solomon, a man known for his amazing gift of wisdom, had the good sense to ask. You may recall me highlighting this in a previous post regarding: How to know God’s Will.

Perhaps Solomon felt intimidated by the prospect of taking over the throne after his father—a beloved man, a fearless warrior, someone who raised and inspired champions and a successful ruler.

So when God, who has the power to grant him whatever he desires, asks: What can I do for you?—what does Solomon want? What does he ask for?

Wisdom!

Dear reader, take a leaf out of Solomon’s book – ask!   

Are you feeling inadequate? Is there someone, or something that intimidates you? Are you trying to tackle a task yet have no idea how to accomplish it, or facing an issue with no clue how to resolve it?

Then ask God.

Enlist the help of the Holy Spirit, who has been sent alongside you for exactly that reason—to help you!

Now I trust you are aiming to make 2018 a year of unprecedented achievement, success and spiritual growth. I trust by now you are on board with the ethos of this blog and my personal desire for your life—to reign over your circumstances, to enjoy a successful and God-glorifying life, to walk as a victorious overcomer.

And so, by way of motivation to continue on your path, let me conclude with the following quote:

God has already done everything He’s going to do. The ball is now in your court. If you want success, if you want wisdom, if you want to be prosperous and healthy, you’re going to have to do more than meditate and believe; you must boldly declare words of faith and victory over yourself and your family.

Joel Osteen

 

This Week’s Prayer Focus:

Let’s pray for ourselves that we will seek after and employ godly wisdom in our lives. Let’s also pray for our brother and sisters in Christ, who may be perplexed by their circumstances. Let’s ask our Father-God to guide their decision-making process and grant them peace of mind.

And you know what I’m going to say next don’t you? That’s right! Put on your spiritual armour before entering the battlefield of prayer.

 

PRAYER:

Father God,

We want to thank you today that there is no situation in our lives which will flummox you.

We want to thank you that despite all appearances to the contrary, you are in complete control. You know the end from the beginning and you have said that you will cause all things to work together for our good, because we love you and have been called out of darkness into your kingdom of light, according to your divine plan and purpose.

Father God, we choose to operate in the wisdom that comes from above, which is pure, peaceable, full of mercy and bears good fruit. Cause our spiritual ears to be attuned to the voice of wisdom. Train our hearts, so we become automatically yielded to and perpetually guided by godly wisdom. Whenever we find ourselves at the concourse of indecision, help us to make prudent choices. Motivate us to increase our knowledge and understanding of you and your ways, so we can conduct our lives circumspectly.

Father-God we lift up to you all those within the circle of our influence, particularly those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We bring before you those who are perplexed, those who are faced with overwhelming difficulties and don’t know what to do, those who have messed up through making wrong decisions and are suffering the consequences of their actions.

Father God, there is nothing too difficult for you, nothing impossible to you. We ask that you strengthen these individuals with might by your Holy Spirit. Strengthen them mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We ask that you comfort their hearts and cause them to have hope for their future. Grant them boldness and assurance in their relationship with you, so that they may trust you, so that they might lean on you and not on their own understanding. Enable them to rise above their circumstances and see their situation from a new perspective, with the eyes of faith. And, as they do so, equip them with an instinctive ability to make life-enhancing decisions which align with your skilful and godly wisdom.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

© Carol Hind

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Sunday’s Supplications

Sunday’s Supplications invites you to not only read the posts but also participate in the prayers. Each fortnight, I hope to introduce a new theme and prayer focus. Why not become a part of the WoW! community by participating in these prayers? Let’s pray for ourselves and for each other. Let’s obey God’s command to watch and pray for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18)

Please note, you do not have to be a blogger to join this praying community.

 

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Women of Warfare followers and visitors I wish you a blessed and victorious week!

 

CREDIT: The above CCO images come courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

 

You Can Make It!

 

Will 2018 be the year your life changes?

Will it be the year you experience a miraculous turn around?

Will 2018 see you go from strength to strength and from victory to victory?

As we move into the second quarter of this year how are you progressing so far?

Women of Warfare followers and visitors – if you can take it, then you can make it!

If you can take the disappointments and disapproval, if you can ignore the  naysayers and dream-slayers, if you can overcome historical fears and failures, then you can make it!

The Word of God says:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 NKJV)

What say you?

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

 

Live the God-Quality Brand of Life!

  

Today we celebrate the most wonderful event that has ever occurred in history – the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Hallelujah!

 

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.

(Taken from the gospel song: Because He Lives, by Bill and Gloria Gaither)

 

In today’s world, people are falling over themselves to live a life they covet—the life of the rich and famous—whether it is a celebrity life-style, the life of a footballer or footballer’s wife, or the life of a lottery winner.

However, if we were to examine the lives of those who live what many ordinary folk crave for themselves, we’d see that some of these individuals are  deeply unhappy, or lacking in integrity and moral fibre, or completely godless.

As children of God, as disciples of Christ, we should not be drawn into the ways of the world, we should not subscribe to its way of thinking.

 

SELF SCRUTINY:

Do I earnestly desire and seek to enjoy the God-quality brand of life?

 

This Week’s Prayer Focus:

Over the next two weeks, let’s ask the Lord to give us a new appreciation and gratitude for the brand of life (eternal life), with which he has blessed us.

Let’s pray for one another that we will remain grounded and settled in our faith, in our individual walk with the Lord. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us so we can avail ourselves of, and enjoy in abundance the benefits of our salvation, for which Christ has died.  Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us so we may freely partake and thrive, not just survive!

And from this point onwards, let’s constantly celebrate, and do our utmost to grasp and enjoy the God-quality brand of life.

PS: Don’t forget to put on your spiritual armour before entering the battlefield of prayer!

 

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

PRAYER:

O Lord God Almighty, how awesome is your miraculous power!

Father-God, we acknowledge and celebrate your mercy, goodness and grace. Today we remember and rejoice over the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ.

We thank you for your amazing and extravagant love for us, in allowing Jesus to lay down his life—so we may be redeemed from the hand of the Enemy, so we may be redeemed from the power of sin and death, so we may be reconciled to you.

Father God, we cannot ever repay you. We cannot ever thank you enough for rescuing us from the fate of eternal damnation. We thank you that because Christ lives in us, we have resurrection life, Zoe life, a God-quality brand of life, flowing in and through our beings.

I ask that you open the eyes of our understanding so that we may live our lives in that higher realm—free from fear, able to govern our thoughts and feelings, so that they align with your Word and your will; able to walk in obedience to your will and enjoy the liberty which your Son’s death has purchased for us.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to come alongside us, to remind us of your words, to reveal your truth, to empower us to be effective witnesses of the gospel.

Holy Spirit, come and fill us afresh today. Minister the peace of God which surpasses natural understanding. Minister the joy of the Lord—joy similar to that which the disciples of Christ experienced when they realised he was alive. Cause that joy to infuse us with supernatural strength. Grant us revelation knowledge and a supreme confidence in whom we are as children of God, as disciples of Christ and enable us to exercise the authority and power He has granted to us, in our day-to-day lives.

Yours O Lord is the glory, power, wisdom and strength. Hallelujah!

We bless your Holy Name and we thank you Father-God for not only hearing our prayer today but also granting our request, which we ask in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

© Carol Hind

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Sunday’s Supplications

Sunday’s Supplications invites you to not only read the posts but also participate in the prayers. Each fortnight, I hope to introduce a new theme and prayer focus. Why not become a part of the WoW! community by participating in these prayers? Let’s pray for ourselves and for each other. Let’s obey God’s command to watch and pray for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18)

You are welcome to print off and use each prayer provided, either verbatim or adapted for your particular circumstance. Even better, why not construct your own prayer and share with others by linking to this post.

Please note, you do not have to be a blogger to join this praying community.

 

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Women of Warfare followers and visitors – Rejoice! Our Saviour is alive! Have a Christ-centred and victorious week!

Black Hole Alert – Ignore At Your Peril!

 

DANGER!

WARNING!

 

Hello dear reader,

I have it on good authority that my Easter Blog Hop Party has turned into a Black Hole. So whatever you do – Do Not Attend!

However…

If you love a challenge, if you’re big enough and brave enough, if you believe you can visit and SURVIVE – please enter!

And, my dear hero/heroine – if you live to tell the tale, please tell others – and why not come back and tell me? Just leave me a message in a comment box below.

Thank You.

 

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 images are from Pixabay.com

Lest I Forget!

Lest I forget Gethsemane,

Lest I forget Thine agony;

Lest I forget Thy love for me,

Lead me to Calvary.

(Taken from the hymn “Lead Me To Calvary” by Jennie E. Hussey – 1921)

 

 Friends and followers – I wish you a happy Easter!

 

CREDIT: the above CCO image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

It’s An Un-Pretty Path!

 

Just before starting to write this post, I felt like crying and weeping and crying some more.

Why?

I had just watched The Passion of the Christ.

It is something I like to do every year on Good Friday. I do it because I don’t want my relationship with God to be something I take for granted. I don’t want my profession to be a Christian and the life I live as a result of this claim, to be a light-hearted matter.

I want, no I need, to be reminded of what God and his precious Son Jesus, has done for me. And so here I am today having watched Mel Gibson’s dramatization of the last few hours of Christ’s life.

It’s brutal. It’s graphic. It’s thought provoking. And it’s deeply, deeply moving.

I have been moved.

I would not describe myself as a nominal Christian. Someone who attends church only on a Sunday but has no relationship with God during the week. Nor am I someone who attends only for those occasions such as Easter, or Christmas, weddings, christenings and funerals.

Nor am I what I’d describe as a tick-box Christian. Someone who attends church because it has become a routine affair in their life and they feel it’s the right thing to do, yet somehow that vital connection… that life-giving relationship is not there.

I say all the above to give you some context. I love my Father-God. I’ve fully committed my life to Christ. I am not someone playing at “churchianity”. When I attend church meetings, I do so because I want to connect with God and with the people of God… because I recognise that when you attend, if your pastor or leader is spirit-filled then there’s a protective anointing released over your life.

When I attend, I do so because I want to be obedient to God’s Word… because I want to enter that higher realm within God’s presence, which you only experience when you present yourself with other members of Christ’s body and offer a corporate sacrifice of adoration, thanksgiving and praise.

So, as you can see, I am committed. Some might even say that I’m passionate when it comes to my relationship with God.

Now I’ve watched this movie before. I’ve been touched by Gibson’s portrayal before. And yet today, something different happened to me. And the only way I can describe it, is to say that I’ve been deeply, deeply moved.

Something has shifted in my heart. A new desire has been birthed within me. A new determination to walk, even soar in life, as a purpose-driven achiever.

It occurred to me whilst watching the movie that Jesus came down from his glorious and majestic habitat in heaven, specifically to die. For me. For you. For the entire human race.

As I watched, as sorrow settled in my heart, as tears pricked my eyes and mysterious lumps formed in my throat, it occurred to me that Jesus had both pursued and achieved his God-ordained purpose. Never mind whether anyone wants to believe it or not. Never mind whether anyone wants to accept it as the truth or not. Never mind whether anyone wants to come avail themselves of his free salvation package, or not.

What matters is that he did it! My Saviour pursued his purpose and fulfilled his destiny. He was and is, a purpose-driven achiever.

Now if we accept this, then we have to accept that pursuing our purpose is not always an idyllic path, a pretty picture of success. Using Jesus as an example, let’s reflect on the route he had to travel for us. Let us consider those times when he was mocked, scorned and spat upon, when he was stripped and humiliated, when he was whipped without mercy and all within a hateful, hostile atmosphere. Does this look, or sound like success? No!

Let me reiterate – the path of success is not always a pretty one. It is not paved with primroses and daffodils. It is paved with blood, sweat and tears. And for Jesus, it was literal blood, literal sweat and for his loved ones, literal tears.

You will recall me mentioning I’ve been deeply moved. Having re-read the account of Jesus’ crucifixion and the events preceding it. Having watched Gibson’s graphic depiction of Christ’s Passion. Having recognised that only someone deeply committed to God and to obeying his will would choose to die such a cruel death.

Yes! Deeply. Utterly. Moved.

Dear reader, pursuing your God-ordained purpose and becoming a purpose-driven achiever, may mean you being at the receiving end of betrayal. It may mean someone you’ve been good to, turns against you. It may mean people who do not understand you or who see you as a threat, will attempt to discredit you, even dispose of you.

Dear reader, when the baggage of past negative experiences meet with the pressure of current difficulties, and when the vision of your future seems cloudy, burdensome or overwhelming, you might (as Jesus did) be tempted to ask God to relieve you, to take your cup of troubles away from you. We all want that idyllic path but more often than not, success requires us to travel via a thorny crossroad.

It is at this point of pressure that we face a choice. Do we back away from the path we have chosen, or do we trust God to empower us, to enable us to carry on?

Are we truly committed to our Father-God so that honouring him, obeying his will, takes priority over our own desires, disappointments and discomfort? Are we focused on the bigger picture, knowing that once we achieve success, it equips us with the means to bless others?

You are perhaps familiar with the saying “no pain, no gain!” Well Jesus embraced it. Jesus lived it. Jesus modelled it.

Having endured the pain and shame of the cross, Christ emerges as a purpose-driven achiever. He achieved victory over a desire for self-preservation. He achieved victory over Satan. He achieved victory over death and sin. He did it for you and for me.

Purpose-driven believer and dream achiever, whilst it’s right that you should pursue the best life you can live as a Child of God and be the best person you can be as a disciple of Christ, in all your pursuits, in all your endeavours, your aim in life should be for God to use you to liberate others—from pain, from lack, from sorrow, from darkness.

Dear reader, I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage you on this special day of remembrance, on this Good Friday.

I’d like to remind you that if it were not for Christ’s sacrifice, you and I would not be in a position today to take advantage of God’s goodness, mercy and loving-kindness. Furthermore, I’d like to encourage you with the wise words of one of my favourite actors, Denzel Washington, who said: don’t just aim to make a living, aim to make a difference!

Dear reader, as you pursue your dreams, consider Christ’s example and remember—to be a purpose-driven achiever is to make a difference to the lives of others—whether family, friend, or foe.

Wishing you a happy Easter!

Best wishes,

Carol

“…If you love what you are doing, you will be successful” – Albert Schweitzer

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

PS: Have you been to my Easter Blog Hop party? No?

Then don’t delay – hop across today!

Here’s the address:

 

CREDITS: All the above CCO images are courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Love, Self-Sacrifice & Betrayal

Betrayed with a kiss!

 

Today is Maundy Thursday.

Now, within the church circles to which I belonged, we never celebrated this day and the first time I knew it even existed was through my husband. As a civil servant, he is given an extra half-day holiday in recognition.

So what is Maundy Thursday?

Glad you asked. Because of my Easter-themed blog hop and to satisfy my curiosity, I decided to do a little research.

Maundy Thursday (aka Holy Thursday) is the day before Good Friday. It is the day when Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples.

That final meal shared together, is now known as the Last Supper and it was at this meal that Jesus broke bread and passed around a cup of wine, instituting a new covenant.

Today, Christians commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus by this same symbolic act of sharing bread and wine, traditionally known as Holy Communion.

And on this same day, Jesus, the Son of God (King of kings and Lord of lords), washed each of his disciples’ feet, as an example of humility and selfless service.

Maundy Thursday is also the day when Judas Iscariot, betrayed Christ.

As mentioned above, Maundy Thursday did not feature in our church programmes. So after many years as a Christian, once I became aware, even though I didn’t know what Maundy meant, I tried to make an educated guess regarding its definition.

I thought perhaps Maundy was an old-fashioned spelling for “mourn” and that the day was in fact a “mourn-day”. And when you consider everything that happened on this fateful day, I believe my ascribed meaning seems appropriate.

To begin with, Jesus appears to be in a state of mourning and trepidation. He knew that his hour had come.

Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour (John 12:27 NKJ).

Again, when he got to the Garden of Gethsemane, we read Jesus was in a state of agony. We learn his disciples were filled with sorrow over their Master’s revelations that he was leaving them… that he was about to die… that he was about to be betrayed by someone within their circle.

And then the unthinkable happens. The traitor in their midst is revealed. The hostile religious leaders have their day in court and the Son of God (the promised Messiah) is sentenced to death – “Crucify him!”

As Jesus is led away to Calvary, women “mourned and lamented him” (Luke 23:27 NKJ).

I guess you can see now where I was coming from.

However, the word Maundy (as I discovered), does not mean “mourn-day” but has its root in a Latin word meaning “command”. It makes reference to when Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment to love each other, as he had loved them (see John 13:1-35).

For the past few weeks, as I’ve spent time in God’s Word, as I’ve read and reflected on various passages relating to the cross, relating to God’s amazing love for the entire human race generally and for me specifically; as I watched two YouTube videos on the crucifixion and resurrection, I cannot help but feel overcome with emotion, with wonder, with gratitude, and with a greater desire and determination to love and serve God to the best of my ability and live an authentic Christian life, which pleases and honours him—because he (my Father-God), is worthy. Christ is worthy.

And between them, they’ve gone to an awful lot of trouble, unimaginable pain and selfless sacrifice to make me worthy.

Jesus suffered so that I can be redeemed from the hand of the Enemy. So I can be reconciled to God. So I can become a part of his illustrious royal family. So I can share in the spiritual riches of his kingdom. And so I can enjoy an abundant, joy-filled and liberated life.

After all my Father-God and Saviour have done for me, how can I not?

What say you dear reader?

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

 

CREDIT: the above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

May I wash your feet?

Hello visiting friends and followers,

Given that this blog is celebrating an Easter theme this week, I’d like to share a post originally written for my other blog – A Purpose-driven achiever.
Best wishes,

Carol ♥♥
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A Purpose-driven achiever

Image from Benno Oosterom – Pixabay.com

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself.

After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’  feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

John 13:3-5 (NKJ)

In recent weeks we’ve been looking at life metaphors. One of mine is that life is a journey. I believe most of you would agree with me that we are all on a journey of some kind—a journey towards our dreams and aspirations, towards God’s purpose for our lives and ultimately towards our eternal destiny.

In biblical times it was the custom for hosts to wash the dust and grime from the feet of…

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Hey Folks – You’re Invited!

  

Hi everyone,

Welcome to my Easter Blog Hop!

It’s my first blog party and I’m so excited.

You are invited to share your new posts, or re-purpose old ones, including artwork, book reviews, craft ideas, memoirs, poems, photos, recipes, songs, stories and travel anecdotes. Your content must however be Easter-related.

This blog party will remain open from now (24 March) until Easter Monday (2 April 2018), so you have 10 glorious days to party.

Help yourself to pastries, chocolate or cake. There’s plenty to go around!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the rules:

 

Posts advertising my party is not necessary but if you do, please link back to this page and use the following tag: “LadyC-Easter Blog Hop”

 

Please share links to your Easter-related content in a comment box below. You can come back as often as you wish but please leave only one item per comment box. Thank you.

 

Links should direct visitors to a specific Easter-related post – not your home page.

 

 

Visit at least 3 participants. Why? Because 3 is the number of blessing. As you bless others, you’ll be blessed yourself!

 

Leave a “like” and a comment

OPTIONAL: I’d just love it if after your comment you left the following calling card in the comments section of each blog you visit: “I bounced over from Lady Cee’s Easter blog hop” (humour me!)

 

 

Family-friendly content only please

 

 

Be a blessing and promote this party to your social networks (pretty please)

 

 

 

Have fun. Make friends. Share the love!

 

 

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

Psst: Have you been good? Have you participated? Have you followed all the rules? Then here’s your reward!

Have you been naughty? Then no more cake or chocolate for you but do help yourself from the tray below!

 

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

(Do come again)

 

 CREDITS: the above CCO images are all courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Spring Has Arrived – Twice!

 

The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.

Harriet Ann Jacobs

 

Because there seemed to be a difference of opinion about the official start of Spring, I decided to do a little research on the matter.

I discovered that there are two perspectives.

If you took the meteorological view, Spring starts in accordance with the Gregorian calendar – i.e. on 1 March each year.

But if you go with the astronomical viewpoint then the start of Spring occurs when an equinox takes place. This changes each year but usually falls on either the 19, 20, or 21 of March.

I’m not particularly bothered either way. In fact, being greedy, I’m happy to embrace both perspectives!

However, what I do love about, and take from my recent discovery is this—there is more than one opportunity to welcome Spring into our lives.

And so, in a metaphorical sense, I’m opening my heart, my life to the season of Spring. I’m inviting the Holy Spirit to come and bring freshness, growth and an abundance of fruit.

Spring, you are welcome!

Come burst into our lives with blossom and buds, soft showers and sunshine.

 

QUESTION:

Are you welcoming a new season of Spring? Are you preparing for and expecting spiritual growth?

 

 

CREDIT: the above CCO image comes courtesy of Hans Braxmeier of Pixabay.com

 

Psst! Can I Tell You a Secret?

 

Those of us who live in countries where we are free to worship and serve God without fear of persecution, are blessed indeed. Not only can we openly attend church meetings or home fellowship groups, we also have access to a plethora of resources, which help us understand the Bible, develop as believers and draw closer to God.

But dear reader, even if you are not fortunate enough to live somewhere where you are able to worship God openly, and have unlimited access to biblical resources, please don’t feel you are at a disadvantage.

Consider the apostles and members of the early church. They did not have a Bible as we know it today. They had only the Old Testament.

Yet if we examine their lives and their achievements, we see they had an enviable relationship with God, were highly committed advocates of Christ’s teachings and were vessels through which God worked mightily, demonstrating his authority and miraculous power.

What was their secret?

The gift of the Holy Spirit!

Now in Acts 19:1-6, we learn that the apostle Paul came across some believers who caused him to ask whether they’d received the Holy Spirit. Apparently, something about their spirituality seemed lacking.

Once these same disciples became baptised in the name of Jesus and once Paul laid hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit, they experienced a higher spiritual level.

WoW followers and visitors, if you are a Child of God, if you are pursuing a God-glorifying and victorious life, if you earnestly desire to fulfil your purpose and follow your God-ordained destiny, I feel bound to ask you the same question today.

Have you received the gift of the Holy Spirit? Are you manifesting the evidence of this (i.e. speaking in tongues)?

In case you do not know what “speaking in tongues” mean, it is the ability (by the influence of the Holy Spirit), to speak to God in a foreign language, which you have not learned.

Going back to the above-mentioned text in Acts 19, we see that following the appropriate baptism and “laying on of hands” (which is the impartation of God’s power through faith and prayer), these disciples of John were elevated to Disciples of Christ.

Perhaps you are wondering why the gift of the Holy Spirit with the accompanying manifestations even matters.

Let me tell you.

You may recall, a series of posts I wrote a little while ago about knowing, understanding and doing the will of God. If you are a new follower, or would like to refresh your memory, please click on the following links:

Do You Know God’s Will? (Part 1) https://womenofwarfare.wordpress.com/2017/08/27/know-gods-will-part-1/

Do You Know God’s Will? (Part 2) https://womenofwarfare.wordpress.com/2017/09/03/know-gods-will-2/

Do You Know God’s Will? (Part 3) https://womenofwarfare.wordpress.com/2017/09/10/gods-will-part-3/

 

Now, you may recall these posts flagged up God’s command to us in Ephesians 5:18 to be filled with the Spirit.

Becoming filled with God’s Spirit is not a one-time act.  Just as a motor vehicle constantly needs to be filled up with fuel, in order for it to keep running efficiently and take us wherever we want or need to go, so our spiritual tanks need to be refilled, so that the power of God is readily available, both for our own needs and for the needs of others.

Now this supernatural empowerment may be accessed for use in our every-day lives, so we experience an abiding peace and the wisdom of God. It may also be manifested on such occasions where a miraculous intervention is required, showcasing the loving-kindness, mercy and power of God. However, as we take regular deposits from this resource, our storage capacity decreases.

So how do we top up? How do we refuel our spiritual tanks? How do we keep ourselves filled with the Spirit, as commanded?

An effective way of doing this, is by praying in the language of the Holy Spirit (i.e. speaking in tongues).

The disciple, Jude, encourages us to edify ourselves—that is build and maintain ourselves in the things pertaining to God and his kingdom. Let’s have a look at Jude’s direction:

But you, beloved, build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith [make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], praying in the Holy Spirit;

Guard and keep yourselves in the love of God…

(Jude 1:20-21 Amplified Bible)

Again, in 1 Corinthians 14:4, the apostle Paul tells us that: He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself.

Since God’s Word reveals that praying in the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues) is how we build ourselves up in our faith… how we progress in our walk with the Lord… how we guard and keep ourselves within the protection and security of God’s love, why would we not use this mystical facility more often in our personal lives?

I can only think that the reason for this would be ignorance or misunderstanding.

Again, when we look at Romans 8:26, we discover that the Holy Spirit:

• helps us in our areas of weaknesses

and

• helps us to pray effectively for those issues where we have no idea how, or what to pray.

So, how do we avail ourselves of this help from the Holy Spirit?

We simply ask for his assistance and then we allow him to pray through us in his own language direct to God.

Dear reader, I can vouch for the added boost of power and effectiveness that praying regularly in the language of the Holy Spirit brings.

If you are expecting 2018 to be a year of unprecedented achievement, if you want to reign over your circumstances and triumph over the ploys of the Enemy, if you want to establish emotional and spiritual resilience in your life—indeed, if you want to experience victory in the areas of your life which have normally defeated or disheartened you, then begin to add regular (or increased) periods of praying in tongues to your success strategies.

You will be amazed at the difference this simple act makes.

 

This Week’s Prayer Focus:

Let us invite the Holy Spirit to help us in all our endeavors this year, whether they relate to business, career plans, our dreams and goals, ministry, parenting, relationships, school/university studies, or work.

PS: make sure you put on your spiritual armour before entering the battlefield of prayer.

 

PRAYER:

Father God,

We want to thank you for your foresight in sending your Holy Spirit to come alongside us—to be our helper, comforter, counsellor, intercessor, source of strength and our stand-by.

We want to thank you for blessing us with this precious spiritual resource, to which we have access day and night.

We want to acknowledge and thank you that the effectiveness of your power never wanes. It is our ignorance, or our disobedience, or our failure to persevere in the face of difficulties, disappointment, or disillusionment, which prevents us from experiencing your enabling power.

Father God, you know each one of us by name. You know our besetting sins, our failings and weaknesses.  Create in us a clean heart. Renew a persevering and steadfast spirit within us. Thank you for your amazing grace, mercy and unconditional love, which means you will never dismiss us from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit away from us.

Father, I ask that you grant us a spirit of tenacity, so that when it comes to prayer, when it comes to our faith, when it comes to walking out the Word of God in our lives, we will be like Jacob who refused to let you go until he prevailed.

Father God, we want 2018 to be a year of unprecedented growth and personal development—emotionally, mentally and spiritually. We realise that we cannot achieve this in our own might, or by our own willpower. We therefore invite the assistance of your Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit, you are welcome. Come and take your place within our personal lives. Come and fill us afresh with your presence. Minister to each one of us the peace of God and the joy of the Lord. Help us to know and fully understand God’s perfect will in our individual circumstances. Motivate us to regularly edify ourselves, so we may build and firmly establish ourselves in our faith, and so we may keep ourselves within the protective parameters of God’s unconditional love.

Father, you said we should ask and it will be given, and you also said you will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask you. We have asked and we ask in faith, confident that you have heard us and will grant our request. Furthermore, as your Word directs, we ask in the precious name of your Son, Jesus.

Amen.

© Carol Hind

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Sunday’s Supplications

Sunday’s Supplications invites you to not only read the posts but also participate in the prayers. Each fortnight, I hope to introduce a new theme and prayer focus. Why not become a part of the WoW! community by participating in these prayers? Let’s pray for ourselves and for each other. Let’s obey God’s command to watch and pray for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18)

You are welcome to print off and use each prayer provided, either verbatim or adapted for your particular circumstance. Even better, why not construct your own prayer and share with others by linking to this post.

Please note, you do not have to be a blogger to participate.

 

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Women of Warfare followers and readers, I wish you a Spirit-filled and victorious week!

 

CREDITS: The above CC0 images come courtesy of Pixabay.com

A Time to Celebrate

 

Hello friends and followers,

Today is Mother’s Day in the UK.

It was an occasion that my mum just loved, particularly in the last few decades of her life. Because we utterly spoiled her. We celebrated her. We did our best to show just how much we loved and appreciated her.

Mum has passed away now. But I still want to remember this incredible, faithful woman of God. I still want to celebrate her life. I still want to give God thanks for the privilege of being her daughter.

Below is an extract from my diary which I’d like to share with you all. The entry was written about 3 weeks before my mother died.

 

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

 

Hello Diary,

I feel like bawling my eyes out. I feel like breaking down and sobbing until every fibre of me has been ridden of pain and disappointment and disillusionment.  I am writing this in a new place (not my Ivory Tower as usual).  I am at my mother’s home, sitting at the dining table—the scene of so much laughter and joy and boisterous revelry.

I sit at my lap top with all the signs of my mother’s warm personality and godly commitment around me. Upon the walls are framed photographs and certificates. Photos of good times, of birthday and graduation events and of her Bishop’s ordination. Photos of celebrations. Photos illustrating Bible verses. Pictures reminding the onlooker of the power of prayer. Certificates testifying of my mother’s commitment to a certain Christian ministry and to her completion of a Bible course. 

I grieve for the mother these photos and certificates portray. A strong God-focussed, prayerful, caring, committed and compassionate woman. 

Earlier, I had borrowed one of her many Bibles. This one sat upon the dining room table. I borrowed it whilst I sat in the overgrown, neglected garden, which is another cause of grief, since it does not bear any resemblance to the garden my mum loved and tended for years. 

Oh it’s not the kind of garden that you’d see in a gardener’s magazine.  It was too haphazard in layout and design for that.  Mum’s garden contained an apple tree with the sourest apples you could ever hope to eat.  There were also potatoes, green beans and gungo beans, spring onions and mint.  All this mixed with rosemary and strawberries, roses and pretty pink flowers (the name of which I do not know). 

But nowadays, along with invasive weeds, mum’s back garden seems to have sprouted old furniture, disintegrating bits of wood, parts of a vacuum cleaner, rusty pipes, containers of industrial fluids and God knows what. There is also a massive eyesore of a building that one of my brothers decided to build—against the wishes and vigorous protestations of his siblings and without my mother’s permission.

Whilst I sit typing at mum’s home, she lies in a hospital bed – a mere shadow of the woman I came to love, respect and highly admire and whom I still love to her very bones, whom I still respect with every fibre of my being and whom I still highly admire, as an example of the woman of God I desire to be.

And as I sat in the back garden on this beautiful day, a day that sported a cloudless blue sky and bright shining sun, there was a stark contrast between my mental climate and the gorgeous weather. 

Our lives have changed.  Indubitably. Undeniably.

No more mum to call upon and ask for prayer.  No more mum to bring our problems to, knowing she would plead and intercede for us to Father God. No more mum on her knees in the earth tending to her beloved gardens. No more mum to arrange family get-togethers and cook extravaganza feasts… to sit back in satisfaction watching us eat and enjoy her food… to bask in our compliments and expressions of gratitude… to listen to the same old family anecdotes and the same old good-natured ribbing of one another. No more mum to join in with the hilarity.

It seems so unfair that this wonderful woman who has been responsible for raising us up single-handedly since the untimely death of my father, this woman who was responsible for making such warm beautiful memories for her family, should have these same precious memories wiped from her memory bank, so that all she is left with is the knowledge that she is incapacitated and without dignity and, the very condition she’d said she would never want to become a feature of her life (having seen it in the lives of others), should turn out to be her own experience.

My father often used to say: “Life – it no easy!”  I would further add: “Life – it’s just not fair!”

Anyway, whilst using the Bible for my quiet time with the Lord, I came across a letter at the back dated 1 November 1989 from one of my sisters. This 4-page letter contained an outpouring of her heart about a particular situation, which had remained unchanged, despite ongoing prayer.

It was such a heartfelt letter. I was touched to the core of my being, so I can imagine how it must have touched my mum. I have no doubt that this letter prompted a session of passionate prayer and intercession on behalf of her daughter and grandson. I have no doubt this outpouring of sorrow and confusion and hurt prompted a phone call in which my mum encouraged, consoled and sought to strengthen my sister. I have no doubt because that was the kind of woman mum was.

As the old saying goes, life is not a bed of roses. Challenges and changes come and we either face up to them and deal with it, or we can run away in the hopes that distance will give us respite, or we can allow our problems to press us into a place of defeat and victimhood.

In the dining room where I sit, there is a cabinet crammed with wine glasses, champagne flutes, candles, crockery and cutlery. Most were gifts to mum over the years and were used for our birthday celebrations, dinner parties and Christmas get-togethers. Some items, such as a colourful set of sherry glasses, were not used anymore because they were so old-fashioned. However, mum didn’t get rid of them and they kept their place in the cabinet.

Looking at this cabinet, it set me thinking…

As Christians, when we encounter the difficulties of life, it’s a relief to know we have a Heavenly Father that cares. It’s wonderful having a loving Saviour and friend in Jesus, upon whom we can cast our burdens. And it’s comforting and reassuring that we have the Holy Spirit who has been called alongside us to help and counsel us.

But are we actually benefiting from these spiritual resources that we’ve been given to enable us to walk victoriously in life? Or, are we merely keeping them like trophies in a cabinet, which we take out now and again, perhaps even use on the odd occasion but otherwise, they serve no significant purpose in our lives?

 

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

 

Thank you dear friends for sparing the time to read this post. For all those who may have lost their mother recently, I pray that the God of all comfort will be with you… that you will be able to look back at the time you’ve shared in the past and rejoice over the memories.

And for all you mothers amongst my readership, may I take this opportunity to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day!

 

CREDIT: the above CCo image comes courtesy of Terri Cnudde at Pixabay.com

 

When You Can’t – God Can!

The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
(Hebrews 13:6 NKJV)

 

Ever heard the saying: God comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable?

I wonder what category you are in today – the afflicted or the comfortable?

Whatever your answer, I’d like to share the following devotional from UCB Word For Today* (7 May 2017). This free quarterly devotional is written by Bob & Debbie Gass and I highly recommend it.

Dear reader, if you are currently suffering a season of affliction, I hope these words will be a source of comfort, hope and strength to you. But if you are occupying the place of the comfortable, then perhaps you know someone who is suffering affliction with whom you can share this post. And because life always has its ups and downs, perhaps this post can help you prepare yourself ahead of those inevitable down times.

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

 

GOD CAN make you comfortable in some of life’s most uncomfortable places. He can bring you through situations you think you won’t survive, or feel like you’ll be stuck in forever. He can give you peace when you’re under pressure.

Before your life is over, you’ll experience loss. Indeed, losing some things will actually help you to appreciate the things you have. It’s the taste of failure that makes success so sweet.

You’ll live not knowing what tomorrow holds, but knowing that God has all your tomorrows planned out. Your future isn’t in the hands of your boss, your banker, your spouse, or anybody else. Nor is it in your own hands to control. All your tomorrows are in God’s hands.

And just because you don’t understand the path you’re on, doesn’t mean He isn’t leading you. He promises: ‘I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them’ (Isaiah 42:16 NKJV).

So get to know God, because you’ll need Him. And He will be there when everybody else has failed you. He will be there for you in the dark places. The psalmist writes, ‘weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning’ (Psalm 30:5 NKJV).

However long the night, morning will come – and with it His joy. Looking back, you’ll realise that his grace has protected you, provided for you, calmed you, comforted you, and brought you through. Times and seasons change, but not the Lord. He’s ‘the same yesterday, today, and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV).

 

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

 

*Free postal copies of UCB Word For Today (UK and Republic of Ireland only) are available from: FREEPOST RLTX-ABUL-GRAR, United Christian Broadcasters, Westport Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST6 4JF

For the online version visit:

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Kien Trinh at Pixabay.com

Women of Warfare – Arise!

 

  

Out of the huts of history’s shame

I rise

Up from a past that’s rooted in pain

I rise

(from: Still I Rise – Maya Angelou)

—–oooooo000oooooo—–

 

Hello Women of Warfare friends and followers,

I recently came across an old journal entry and thought I’d share an edited version of it with you all. Hopefully, it will be of encouragement to someone.

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Yesterday I decided to put the phrase “victor or victim” into google and see what came up.  I was surprised. There were a few blog posts on this, some of which I read then subsequently felt provoked to deal with my negativity once and for all.

It is hard to swallow the fact that I’m responsible for my own misery… that I have consistently made the choice to live in a perpetual cycle of anger, blame, resentment and unhappiness because of the mistreatment of others.

But I have to accept this.

I have to accept that although I cannot control what happens to me, what people do or say to me, what people think about me, I can control how I respond to the things that have happened.

It is a bitter pill indeed to swallow, to realise that me, myself and I have been responsible for years of wrong thinking, wrong attitudes and, wrong reactions. I have allowed other people to control my interior world (my thought life and internal responses) and I have allowed that interior world, to colour my views about myself, my life, my prospects, my future.

Yes – it is a bitter realisation indeed.

Now one of the posts I read gave a scenario about 2 single mothers who found themselves abandoned by their child’s father. The posts described how they chose to go through life thereafter. One emerged a victor and one became a victim. It was a matter of choice—pure and simple.

And so I decided yesterday evening that I was going to make that choice once and for all. I choose to be a victor!

I don’t imagine it will be easy. After all, I have ingrained, deeply entrenched negative habits. But, I am not fighting in my own strength and in fact, whilst I think about it, the battle has already been won. I just have to get on my battle gear and stand against the wiles of the Enemy, who just loves to goad me with his mind games.

 Day after day he has told me (and will no doubt continue to tell me) that I am a loser, that I am rejected, disrespected, fighting a losing battle.  But he is a liar. I am not a loser. I am going to win.

 I need to win. Because there are other women out there who need my help, need me to share my insights and encouragement and wisdom and need me to motivate them, inspire them and support them.

 And so Father God, I thank you for opening my eyes. I thank you for giving me your assignment to minister to wounded, hurting victims. Thank you for your promise to help me.  Holy Spirit I thank you in advance and in anticipation of your help, counsel, direction and enabling power. Teach me. Anoint me. Help me. Give me new perspectives, new aspirations, new insights—a new victorious life!

 I am excited! Excited to see how this turns out. Excited to see my life turn around miraculously and irrevocably. Excited to see lives that the Enemy has held in captivity turn around and be fully recovered from victimhood.

 Things are going to change within me, within my life, within the lives of people around me to whom I have been assigned. This is a mega responsibility but it is also an honour and nothing will delight me more than to see women who have been held down, crushed and incapacitated by the Enemy coming out of captivity, being liberated, arising in strength.

 

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Dear reader,

After writing the above entry, Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise came to mind. You can listen to, or read the poem here.

Serena Williams recited it before her Wimbledon finals match in July 2016. She not only won but achieved sporting history by matching Steffie Graff’s record of winning 22 grand slams.

Dear reader, if the above words from my journal entry speaks to you where you are at, if the message of my posts and the ethos of this blog (Women of Warfare!) resonates with you, may I take this opportunity to encourage you?

Like Serena Williams, you too can win. And you too can arise.

Now if you are a Wimbledon fan, or any kind of sports fan, you will appreciate that it takes more than talent or ability to win. It takes mental strength and determination.

Beloved Child of God, if you are going to win against the lies of the Enemy, if you are going to rise above your negative circumstances, if you are going to walk confidently in life as a victorious overcomer, then as the Word of God counsels, you need to be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). You need to choose to focus your thoughts upon those things which are in line with God’s Word and his will for your life.

Dear reader, you can change your psychological history. It is a matter of choice.

Precious woman of God, you were created to be a victor. So choose to be the woman of God that He has called you to be – strong, merciful, loving, productive, wise and victorious!

No matter what you have suffered in the past, no matter what you may be experiencing now, choose to believe God’s Word over what the Enemy says or shows you, over what abusers, liars, mockers and scorners say and do to you, over whatever your negative life experiences have been.

Choose to arise. Choose to be a victorious overcomer.

Why?

Because as the L’Oréal advert says: “You are worth it!”

 

Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ – Galatians 6:2 (NKJV)

This Week’s Prayer Focus:

Let us turn our thoughts and prayers this week towards those who are emotionally unstable—whether for yourself, or for someone you know, or anyone in the Body of Christ who feels victimised by others, who feels oppressed by the Enemy, who feels downtrodden by and despairing of their life’s circumstances.

 

PRAYER:

Father God,

You have said in your Word that those who are strong ought to bear the burdens of those who are weak.

I want to thank you for the examples in your Word, which show us how to overcome in the battles of life. I particularly want to bring to your remembrance the account of Aaron and Hur, who held up the weary arms of Moses, so Joshua and the Children of Israel could prevail in battle (Exodus 17:8-12).

Thank you for this picture of intercessory warfare. Thank you for this beautiful example of saints in Christ coming alongside those who are weary, discouraged or defeated, in order to bear them up with our prayers, in order to support them with our love.

Father God, thank you for your Word, which is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Thank you that when we speak your Word in faith, when we meditate upon it daily, it does not return to you empty and unfulfilled but accomplishes your purpose in and through our lives.

I ask that you help all those who may be struggling right now, to stand with confidence upon your Word. I ask that you help all those who are mentally or emotionally defeated to awake to the truth and miraculous power of your Word, to resist Satan’s deceptive lies and to break free from the captivity of the Enemy.

Holy Spirit, I ask that you come alongside those who are weak, weary and defeated. I ask that you minister spiritual strength, comfort and peace throughout the coming weeks and months.

Lord Jesus, I thank you that you are the captain of our Salvation. I thank you that you have already disarmed the principalities and powers that have set themselves against us. I thank you that you ever live to make intercession for us. Enable us through your prayers and through the help of your Holy Spirit to stand strong in battle, to walk through life as victorious overcomers.

Father God, I ask this in the name of our all-conquering King. I ask in the mighty, matchless name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

© Carol Hind

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Sunday’s Supplications

Sunday’s Supplications invites you to not only read the posts but also participate in the prayers. Each fortnight, I hope to introduce a new theme and prayer focus. Why not become a part of the WoW! community by participating in these prayers? Let’s pray for ourselves and for each other. Let’s obey God’s command to watch and pray for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18).

You are welcome to print off and use each prayer provided, either verbatim or adapted for your particular circumstance. Even better, why not construct your own prayer and share with others by linking to this post.

Please note, you do not have to be a blogger to participate.

*****   *****   *****

 

Women of Warfare followers and readers have a wonderful and victorious week!

 

CREDITS: The above  CC0 images come courtesy of Pixabay.com

Sunrise image – by Jean Louis Tosque

 

 

Prayer Gem 13

 

You possess a divine call and purpose. You have sacred obligations and extraordinary privileges. The call to prayer and praise as a priest of the most high God is a call to every New Testament believer.

(from Highest Calling by Larry Lea)

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Question:

Have you answered that call?

 

 

CREDIT: the above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Encouragement for your journey (7)

Success is a journey – not a destination!

 

 

Hello friends and followers,

Today’s post will be my final one in this series.

I do hope you have been blessed, challenged and motivated to pursue God’s best, to improve yourself daily, to emerge at the end of 2018 as a victorious over-comer and God-glorifying achiever.

Like Paul, I do not claim to have arrived. When I write my posts, I speak firstly to myself. I write to encourage myself and anyone else whom God draws to my blogs. If He chooses to use my words to minister to an individual, or if visitors enjoy reading my posts along the way then I am grateful for the opportunity to speak into their lives and perhaps influence their thoughts.

As we move towards the close of this month, may I encourage you to keep looking towards Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith? May I remind you that God’s thoughts towards you are good thoughts and his plans for your life are good plans? May I therefore counsel you to cast down ALL contrary negative thoughts and meditate daily upon God’s life-enhancing thoughts? Finally, may I suggest that you embrace the attitudes and emulate the behaviour of the blessed, successful individual depicted in Psalm 1:1-3?

Success will look different to everyone. What it looks like to me will not be the same for you. However, I truly believe that the one definition we can all embrace regardless of our different dreams or goals is that success is becoming the best version of ourselves, whether as a Child of God, spouse, parent, student, colleague, employee or entrepreneur.

And so dear reader, let me take this opportunity to further encourage you on your journey with the following video. I trust you will take on board Washington’s advice.

 

 

I pray you will thrive, flourish and prosper. And I pray your journey through life this year will be one of personal growth, godly success and spiritual triumph.

Women of Warfare friends and followers – have a blessed week!

 

 

The Tragedy of Unclaimed Love

 

What would convince you of someone’s genuine love for you?

In fact, how would you feel if you were the target of this young man’s love song?

 

I don’t know about you but after listening to such a passionate rendition, there would be little doubt in my mind about his feelings.

Well, as convincing and passionate as this man’s declaration may be, nothing can beat the ultimate expression of LOVE – God sending his only Son to die for me, for you, for the entire world.

And God wants you to know today that you are loved, from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet—regardless of your status, skin colour, size, age, achievements or failures.

You are loved!

Are you suffering? Do you feel forgotten, lonely or alone?

Take comfort in the fact that God loves you with an all-consuming, everlasting, unconditional love. Be assured in your heart that there is nothing in the world that you can do, to change God’s feelings about you.

Dear reader, if you do not already enjoy an ongoing relationship with your Heavenly Father, why not commit your life into his safe keeping and embark on the ultimate love relationship? There’s a special place reserved in his heart for you. So, why not accept and respond to God’s generous declaration of love today?

And to those of you who have already responded to God’s gracious wooing, may you know without the shadow of a doubt that you are precious indeed. And may you experience a greater awareness of your Father-God’s awesome love over the coming days and weeks.

With heartfelt best wishes,

 

Carol ♥♥

 

The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

Self Indulgence or Self Control?

 

Brace yourself dear friends, because today’s theme may be a thorny issue in your life. I refer to the issue of ANGER. You may be someone who blows up at the slightest thing, or you could be someone who quietly stews over perceived offences.

Whatever is your reality, perhaps now is the season to examine your heart, to see whether this trait is disturbing your spiritual equilibrium, affecting your relationships and undermining your peace.

I’m sure you are familiar with what the Bible has to say about this subject:

“Be angry and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

Ephesians 4:26-27

 

However, has familiarity with this command, bred compliance or contempt?

Now, whilst it is human nature to become angry at times, to even express our anger, we are warned against allowing it to remain in our heart, so that it festers and becomes a contaminating feature—both to the person harbouring it and to those around them.

So, for all those who desire to walk as a victorious overcomer, the question we should be asking ourselves is: Am I in control of my anger, or does anger with its diabolical accomplices, habitually control me?

It’s easy to think that because you’re not hitting out at anyone, or planning anyone’s demise that the anger we often nurse in our hearts, is harmless. However, God’s Word clearly indicates otherwise.

The writer of Hebrews warns us against a root of bitterness and its ability to spring up, cause trouble and defile many (Hebrews 12:15). And the apostle Paul advises us to:

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:31-32

 

Now suppose God were to ask us to complete a questionnaire on how compliant we are to the above verses, I wonder how we would rate ourselves – with 5 being fully compliant and 1 indicating blatant disobedience!

Whether or not we dare to honestly assess and score ourselves, God knows our hearts and knows whether having been weighed in his balances, we are found wanting.

Returning now to the above text in Ephesians 4:26, my understanding of this is that it’s okay to be angry but there is a point beyond which our anger becomes sinful.

What is that point? It is when we allow our angry thoughts and feelings to last beyond sunset. Have you ever gone to bed with anger in your heart? Let me be honest here, I have!

Now we are fortunate that our episodes of anger are shielded from the public gaze. Not so for the likes of Donald Trump.  As someone who holds the highest office in the land, Trump is able to hire and fire at the drop of a hat. And don’t we know it? Last year, it seems to me that practically every month we heard about someone being fired from the White House administration.

Anger, or lack of self-control, is not always expressed through physical violence. It can be demonstrated by harsh words, sarcasm, tantrums, withering or subtle put-downs, even silence.

Dear friends, whether displayed publicly or privately, or carefully suppressed within our hearts, uncontrolled or seething anger reveals a weakness of character. Outbursts of wrath is named amongst the works of the flesh, whilst self-control is a fruit of the spirit.

As victorious overcomers, our goal is to glorify our Father-God, not just with our lips but also with our lifestyle. Our aim should be to model Christ-like behaviour, to behave like dear children, imitating our Father-God by showing forgiveness and mercy.

It’s a matter of choice. It’s a matter of obedience. It’s a matter of dying to self.

Easier said than done? Yes.

Impossible to do? No!

As the Bible assures us, we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.

I close with the following quotes:

 

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.

(Baptist Beacon)

 

Anger is one letter short of danger.      

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

 

He who angers you conquers you.

Elizabeth Kenny

 

Anger can be likened to conducting an archaeological dig, searching for ancient hurts, buried offences, and relics of past resentment.

Carol Hind (aka Lady Cee)

 

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This Week’s Prayer Focus:

For ourselves and for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that we will value our relationship with God, with our family members, work colleagues and neighbours, above our grievances.

And don’t forget to put on your spiritual armour before entering the battlefield of prayer!

 

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father,

I want to thank you for your unconditional love, your everlasting kindness and your unfailing mercies. Your Word reminds me that you are gracious and slow to anger… that you do not deal with us according to our sins, or punish us according to our iniquities.

Father God, I confess my sin of anger today. I ask you to forgive me for my short-sightedness. Forgive me for the times when I’ve acted exactly like the man in Christ’s parable of the unforgiving servant.

As I confess my sin today, I thank you for your promise to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.  

Father God, I now bring before you all those amongst my followers and visitors who desire to walk in obedience to your Word. I commit into your hands all those who desire to walk as victorious overcomers. May we honestly examine our lives to see whether we measure up to your required standards.

Grant us the grace to humble ourselves and fully relinquish any angry thoughts, hurts and memories which reinforce a cycle of anger and bitterness within our hearts. Help us to resist the goading voice of the Enemy and to dismiss negative internal dialogues regarding those who have offended us.

Holy Spirit, comfort and administer your healing balm to our souls. Enable us to exercise self-control and strengthen our resolve to walk in obedience to God’s Word, to walk on that highway of holiness.

We ask today in faith, believing you have heard our prayers and will grant our request. And we ask in the matchless name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

© Carol Hind

 

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Sunday’s Supplications

Sunday’s Supplications invites you to not only read the posts but also participate in the prayers. Each fortnight, I hope to introduce a new theme and prayer focus. You are welcome to print off and use each prayer provided, either verbatim or adapted for your particular circumstance. Even better, you can construct your own prayer and share with others by linking to this post. Please note, you do not have to be a blogger to participate.

 

*****   *****   *****

 

Women of Warfare followers and readers have a blessed and victorious week!

Encouragement for your journey (6)

Success is a journey – not a destination!

 

Hello dear reader,

It is now the second month of 2018. So, how are you doing?

When the clock struck midnight and a New Year was ushered in, every living soul who has God’s breath in their body was given a fresh opportunity to write their own story. A new story. A story of success. A story of accomplishment. A story of personal growth and development. A story of a victorious lifestyle, of spiritual increase and supernatural blessings.

But that story will only get written with the quill of zeal and determination, with the ink of wisdom, faith and hope.

So, how will the next 10-11 months shape up for you?

With the opportunities that 12 chapters and 365 pages each New Year grants, what type of story do you want to see emerge? What story are you planning, shaping, expecting? Will it be a tale of woe and regret, or an exciting saga with twists and intrigue?

In every good story there has to be a beginning and an ending. In every realistic tale there has to be a conflict, or problem which needs to be resolved. There is a protagonist and an antagonist. And just as the author is in control of the story she or he writes, so you are in control of your story, so I am in control of mine.

Perhaps you’re thinking:  No Lady Cee, I am not in control. What about those who oppose me? What about the unexpected events that throw me off track? What about God’s will for my life? What about my responsibilities? What about Satan and his evil cohorts? 

 

What about him? What about your accusers, your back-stabbers, your mockers, naysayers and saboteurs? Are you forgetting something?

What about God Almighty? What about Jesus your Saviour and the author and finisher of your faith? What about the Holy Spirit—your advocate, counsellor, helper and intercessor?

And what about you? None of the negative aspects of our lives, mean that you and I can abdicate responsibility for our failings and short-comings.

Dear friend, you can choose to feel despondent about your traumas, trials and tribulations and you can choose to stay in a slough of depression, or else you can arise. Arise in strength. Arise in faith.

And, you can say, as Habukkuk did:

Though the fig tree does not blossom […] and the fields yield no food, […] yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the [victorious] God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places of trouble, suffering, or responsibility.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

You can look at the shenanigans of those who oppose you, marginalise you, hate or despise you, and you can believe they have the upper hand and that you are their victim.

Or, you can look at those same situations and see an opportunity for God to amaze you, strengthen you, hone your character, transform you. And you can be confident that Father-God will fight for you (vanquishing those enemies as he sees fit). You can be assured that he will remove you from the reach of harm, even forge a path of favour along your route to success.

Dear reader, can you see how whatever happens in your life, you can gain the upper hand, you can be in control, you can be the head and not the tail, above only (in your estimation and according to God’s reckoning) and not beneath (because of the warped estimation of others)?

You can take control of your story in 2018! It’s a matter of your mind-set. It’s a matter of your free-will. It’s a matter of choice.

Over the remaining months of this year, we can choose to follow our dreams, pursue our destiny, trust God, believe His Word and draw closer to him. Or we can choose to walk on the path of mediocrity, swim in the pool of stagnancy, or reside in a cul-de-sac of confusion and despair.

Dear reader, you and I are God’s creative masterpiece! So let’s remember that. Let’s you and I over the remaining months of this year, write a humdinger of a tale, one that the Lord would be proud to read.

Have a blessed and victorious week!

Love,

Carol ♥♥

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 Images come courtesy of Pixabay.com

Encouragement for Your Journey (5)

 

Each year, each month, each week, each day, even each hour, we are presented with an opportunity to change, to aim for a better, higher expression of ourselves as a child of God, as a spouse, as a parent, as a colleague, as a human being with a unique personality.

Why not aim to make this year, a year of significant achievement or breakthrough, in terms of drawing closer to God, in terms of our relationship with others, in terms of our areas of weaknesses, in terms of our dreams?

 Is it possible?

Can anyone who has ingrained bad habits, a negative mind-set, a propensity to start but not finish their projects, change?

YES THEY CAN!

Dear reader, perhaps you are entertaining doubts. Perhaps your doubts are singing loudly from the rooftop of your being, or perhaps they are quietly niggling you at the back of your brain. However they may be troubling you, don’t ignore them and certainly don’t accept them!

Instead dismiss them. Address them each time they show up and say: doubts – come out! Serve them notice. Evict them. Refuse to give them free board and lodging in your life anymore.

Perhaps you are thinking: that’s easy for you to say Lady Cee but I’ve tried in the past and failed.

So have I, dear reader – so have I! But that is not going to stop me from continuing to try until I succeed.

Listen to me – I heard a man of God speak the other day and the gist of his encouraging message was that every champion, every president, every entrepreneur, every man or woman who has achieved significance, had wanted to give up.

What you and I have to do, is purpose in our hearts, no matter how long it takes, no matter what obstacles we face, WE WILL NOT GIVE UP! As a well-known proverb advises: If at first you don’t succeed TRY, TRY, AGAIN!

So about those doubts. Why might they be there?

Perhaps you had parents, or school teachers, or a spouse, or some other significant person in your past, who said you were not going to amount to much. Listen, there is historical evidence that such figures of authority have been proved wrong. Very wrong!

 

Stop Doubting Yourself!

 

They were wrong about physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Albert Einstein. They were wrong about successful business magnate, Richard Branson. They were wrong about renowned motivational speaker, Les Brown. And they are wrong about you!

Decide in your heart that no human being (other than yourself) is going to have the last word in your life about your capabilities or prospects. God says you are his creative masterpiece. Listen to him and accept his assessment of you.

Perhaps you have a past record of beginning projects and not completing them. I know I have. And the memory of these unfinished projects, these unfulfilled “vows” with yourself, sit smugly within your consciousness and point accusatory fingers. The devil himself makes sure to give you his unsought opinion. And the little demons that attach themselves to these memories, scoff and taunt about your ability to change, to be diligent, to discipline yourself, to sustain interest until the point of completion.

Am I right? But more to the point, are they right?

Don’t let them have the last word. You can change. The Word of God says that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. So ask God, believe and expect mental and emotional strength. Ask for, believe and expect to receive an ability to withstand the pressures of your life, to overcome those forces designed to distract and deter you.

Again, the Word of God says all things are possible to him that believeth. I understand that the “eth” at the end of words in biblical text signifies a continuous tense. So to achieve your heart’s desire, it’s important that you not just believe whilst the going is good but continue to believe – today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year – regardless of what happens and for as long as it takes. Are you willing to believe and believe and believe? Are you willing to do whatever it takes?

And about those obstacles, whether within yourself, or outside of yourself, you have a choice of whether to allow them to win, or whether to soar over them, plough through them, or wrestle them into submission to your dreams, goals and strategic plans.

If human beings, severely disadvantaged in life, refuse to let those disadvantages deter them; if disabled people can paint with their feet, successfully compete in races, and achieve extraordinary results; if individuals so beaten down by life they’d planned to dispose of themselves, can come back from the dead, so to speak, to effectively change and empower themselves, then we as blood-bought children of God—who’ve been given the requisite supernatural resources to enable us to endure, to overcome and win, and enjoy abundant life—have absolutely no genuine excuse!

Dear friend, the following is a short video which concludes today’s pep talk. If you need to watch it again and again and again throughout the coming weeks and months, until that message sinks in, until those doubts do not even dare to peep out of your soul, then please do so.

 

 

WoW follower and visitor – you can do it BUT you have to choose to do so! So choose today to be a victor. Choose today to be a victorious over-comer. Choose today to follow your dreams, to pursue your goals, to make this year, your year of jubilee!

With love,

Carol ♥♥

 

CREDIT: all the above CC0 images come courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

All Praise & Glory to My Awesome God!

PRAISE PRAYER & WORSHIP WEDNESDAY

 

I love to worship the Lord. And for me one of the best things about church meetings is the opportunity to enter into corporate worship and get a taste of what it must be like in heaven for multitudes of people directing their attention, their love and devotion to the most High God, to the King of kings and Lord of lords.

And when God acknowledges our sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving by honouring us with his awesome presence, words cannot express how blessed, how privileged and humbled this makes me feel.

Now whenever God answers my prayer in a miraculous way, I cannot help but lift my hands. I cannot help but bow my knees. I cannot help but leap and grin. I’ve experienced one such joyous occasion recently and so, I’d like to share this post in tribute to my Father God.

I do hope that it ministers to somebody out there. If it does, please let me know in the comment box below. I’d really love to hear from you.

—————-ooo0ooo—————-

 

Praise

 

I waited patiently for God to help me; then he listened and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path and steadied me as I walked along.

He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord, and put their trust in him.

Many blessings are given to those who trust the Lord, and have no confidence in those who are proud, or who trust in idols.

O Lord my God, many and many a time you have done great miracles for us, and we are ever in your thoughts. Who else can do such glorious things? No one else can be compared with you. There isn’t time to tell of all your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 40:1-5 (The Living Bible)

 

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

You deserve all praise and glory.

What a mighty God you are! I’m so grateful that you are not only a living God but you are also willing to intervene in the lives of your people. You are willing to manifest yourself as our protector and provider.

Thank you for your everlasting mercies. Thank you for your unfailing compassion. Thank you for your right hand of justice and your powerful arm of vindication. Continue to thwart the proud and crafty, so their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

Cause righteousness to prevail and your perfect will to be done, in and through our lives. I ask this in the matchless name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

 

Worship

 

 

Women of Warfare followers and visitors, have a blessed and victorious week.

 

Love,

Carol ♥ ♥

 

 

CREDIT: The above image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Do You Have the ‘S’ Factor?

 

What comes to mind when you think of a soldier in the army?

What comes to mind when you think of a warrior?

I think of individuals who have been specially trained, who know how to handle themselves in combat.

Paul writes to the Ephesians and instructs:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:10-11)

When Paul gave this direction, he would have been thinking about the Roman regiment. And that’s where he got the idea to use these soldiers and their armour to illustrate the child of God in spiritual warfare, with spiritual weapons, engaging in spiritual combat.

The first thing we are commanded to do, is to be strong. Not wishy washy. Not crumbling at the first sign of confrontation, disappointment, or opposition.  We are to be strong.

What does that mean – to be strong?

It means we are to be resilient. To be hardy. To be able to bear up under pressure. To have mental, emotional and spiritual stability. But we are not expected to be strong in and of ourselves (thank God!).

We are commanded to be strong in the Lord. Did you get that? Be strong IN the Lord. To be in the Lord means we are enclosed. It means we are covered. It means we are inside him. We are not on him, under him, beside him, behind him, but in him!

Yet life happens and life is not usually packaged in a neat pretty bow. Life does not offer us an even plane with idyllic circumstances. It offers curved balls. It serves us conundrums. It delivers mountain top experiences along with valleys of adversity and mind-boggling dilemmas.

Our heavenly father knows this. After all he is omniscient. So when he demands that we be strong, does this mean we should only show the “stiff upper lip” as the Brits used to say? Does this mean, never show emotion? Does this mean we should not be susceptible to tears, or discouragement, or fear?

Absolutely not! Jesus was our role model when he was on this earth. He wept over Lazarus. He grieved for Jerusalem. He was fearful of the agony of a cruel death and separation from his beloved Father. And I doubt anyone would describe him as weak!

And that’s why we cannot depend upon our own strength—since that strength can obviously be diminished by discouragement and difficulties. That is why Paul admonishes us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

What does it mean to be “in the Lord”? It means the Lord is the container and we are inside. It means the Lord is our fortress and we are within that fortress.

So dear child of God, do you understand what is being asked of you? Are you taking heed?

Be strong in the Lord!

Think of it another way. Think of it as abiding. Abiding in the vine. Abiding in God’s Word. Abiding in God’s presence. Living in such a way that you are vitally connected to the source of divine might and strength.

Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might!

Spiritual strength is important. A soldier who falls to pieces mentally and emotionally is no good on the battlefield. A soldier who does not have physical stamina, is no good to his comrades or superiors. In fact he could become a liability.

Strength is required to withstand the Enemy. Strength is required to withstand the internal voices that assail you as you go about your daily living (Can I do this? Suppose I fail? Am I good enough?), or as you take your place on the battlefield of prayer (Has God heard my petition? Will God grant this request?).

Let me illustrate how Paul’s challenge to the Body of Christ, plays out in a real life scenario. I presume you are familiar with the Bible story of David and Goliath.

Do you recall the response of Saul and members of his army? These men were seasoned soldiers. These men were fighting veterans. And yet they were afraid. They were afraid because they approached the prospect of facing their enemy, in their own strength and might. And when it came to measuring their strength and their might against this gigantic Philistine, they believed they were no match for this enemy – and of course they were right!

However, David, an unseasoned, and untested and unorthodox warrior, saw himself as strong in the power of God’s might. He saw not the bigness of this giant foe but the greatness of his covenant-keeping God.

How did he come by such spiritual strength? How did he gain such supernatural confidence? Through regular fellowship with God. Through a committed ongoing relationship. And through experiences gained during his every-day life as a shepherd, as a worshipper.

In Daniel 11:32b, we are told: …the people who know their God shall be strong and carry out great exploits.

Dear warrior of God,

Dear WoW follower or visitor,

How is your relationship with God?

Do you have spiritual strength?

Without spiritual strength you cannot resist the Enemy. Without spiritual strength you cannot stand your ground.

Don’t waste time, don’t expend your energy fighting against people. It’s tempting yes, to use carnal weapons such as put-downs, arguments, hostility, withdrawal of love, etc.

It may even feel temporarily satisfying but use of such weapons will only dissipate your spiritual strength. Use of such weapons will only put you at odds with the Commander of our faith. Even worse, use of such weapons puts us in the same territory (i.e. on the same side) as our deadly Enemy.

Want to succeed this year?

Want this year to be better than those gone before?

Want to walk as a victorious over-comer?

Want to reign in your circumstances, instead of your circumstances ruling you?

Then develop your spiritual strength. Aim to be strong and let that supernatural strength, that sense of stability, that emotional and internal resilience be a product of God’s power and might. Let that strength permeate your life through your ongoing relationship with him.

And remember dear one, regardless of any negative circumstance you may face—you are more than a conqueror. So believe it, declare it, and walk confidently in this truth – today!

 

This Week’s Prayer Focus:

In accordance with Ephesians 6:18, let’s pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ (particularly those who’ve been imprisoned for their faith). Pray that we will be empowered by our relationship with God and will stand firm in the face of any attack by the Enemy.

Remember to protect yourself by putting on your spiritual armour before entering the battlefield of prayer!

 

PRAYER:

Father God in heaven, thank you for making us a partaker of your divine nature. Thank you for granting us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Christ. Thank you for equipping the body of Christ with supernatural weapons of warfare and with an armour that protects us from the onslaught of the Enemy. Help us to be vigilant, to be aware that Satan prowls around seeking to devour our faith and our confidence in you and seeking to prey on our weaknesses.

Lord Jesus, you are the high priest of our confession. We therefore declare with boldness that this year we will not be intimidated by, or slothful about the Enemy’s attacks against us and our loved ones. We declare that we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices and we determine in our hearts not to indulge in the use of carnal weapons but to submit our thoughts, attitudes and actions to the obedience of Christ. We apply the protective power of the blood of Jesus over our minds and over our lives, against which Satan and his cohorts have no immunity.

Lord, we pray for those brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering persecution for their faith. We ask that you strengthen them with might by your Holy Spirit in their inner being. Cause them to hope in you and may that hope act as an anchor for their soul. Deliver them from evil. Let not the plans of the Enemy prevail against them or their families. Grant them the inner peace that transcends natural understanding.

Thank you Father-God for your goodness and mercy. Thank you for your unfailing compassion. Whether at liberty or imprisoned, we proclaim your sovereignty in the lives of your people and we declare your miraculous power is at work within our lives.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

© Carol Hind

 

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Sunday’s Supplications

Sunday’s Supplications invites you to not only read the posts but also participate in the prayers. Each fortnight, I hope to introduce a new theme and prayer focus. You are welcome to print off and use each prayer provided, either verbatim or adapted for your particular circumstance. Even better, you can construct your own prayer and share with others by linking to this post. Please note, you do not have to be a blogger to participate.

*****   *****   *****

 

Women of Warfare followers and visitors be blessed and have a wonderful week!

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

Encouragement for your journey (4)

Success is a journey – not a destination!

 

It’s been said that these modern times have produced a generation of people who’ve grown up in a negative culture – the blame culture!

With this kind of mind-set, this kind of perspective, those so afflicted can point the finger at someone else for their failures or misfortune.

 

My parents didn’t love me!

No one gave me a helping hand!

I came from a broken home!

I didn’t attend the right school… college… university!

I didn’t grow up in the right neighbourhood!

I don’t have the right skin colour!

I wasn’t given the same opportunities!

I…    I…    I…

 

Godly warriors and victorious over-comers, if we want this year to be a year of supernatural success and consistent achievement, we need to take responsibility for our thoughts, attitudes and actions.

Let’s cast an eye on a few biblical examples where people, who could have felt justified for going down the road of anger, bitterness, self-pity, or revenge, chose instead to trust God, to be patient in tribulation and to forgive those who’d wronged them.

• Joseph did not blame his brothers for putting him in a pit, for selling him as a slave
• David did not blame his family for dismissing him as someone with the potential to be king, with the potential to succeed
• Ruth did not blame her mother-in-law, or life in general, for ending up a young widow
• Daniel did not blame God when his faithfulness in prayer, caused him to be thrown into the lion’s den

 

 

Dear WoW! follower and visitor,

May I encourage you to adopt the same attitudes as those individuals in my examples above?

May I invite you to watch the following motivational video and to pay heed to its message?

I hope it will inspire you to change (if applicable). And I hope it will inspire you to pray for yourself, and/or to pray for anyone you know, who’ve become entrapped within the gall of bitterness.

 

 

With heartfelt good wishes for you, that this will be a year of tremendous blessings and significant breakthroughs.

Love,

Carol

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Encouragement for your journey (3)

Success is a journey – not a destination!

 

Hello my journey-friends,

21 days ago, we welcomed in a brand New Year.

21 days ago, we entered into this New Year with a sense of anticipation.

21 days ago, we looked back at the previous year and assessed whether or not we’d experienced a year of achievement, success and victory, or fatigue, failure and frustration.

21 days ago, you and I had a choice—do we enter into the New Year with baggage from the old one, or do we let go of our debilitating fears and weaknesses and face the challenges and opportunities ahead with faith and determination?

How are you doing so far?

Here’s a short motivational video that I trust will encourage you to keep going, despite any doubts, disappointments or discouragement.

Fellow journey-ers, may 2018 be a year of significant breakthrough for you. May 2018 be your year!

  

 

 

Women of Warfare friends and followers, have a blessed week!

With love and best wishes,

 Carol

 

CREDIT: The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Pixabay.com

 

Remember Your First Love?

 

 

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love (Revelation 2:4 NKJV)

 

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8a NKJV)

 

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and dine with him, and he with Me (Revelations 3:20 NKJV)

 

____________

 

Do you remember the first time you landed that job? Or the first time you were given a responsible role? Or the first time you met your spouse?

Do you remember how excited you were? How committed you were to doing your utmost best? How full of zeal and excitement and plans? Do you remember how you could not stop talking about it, telling others about what you’ve accomplished, or sharing the good news about what has happened to you?

Now cast your mind back to how you felt when you first invited the Lord Jesus Christ to take control of your life. Do you recall your fervour… that incredible feeling of love, joy and gratitude? Well, that’s what is referred to as ‘your first love’ in the above quote.

When you consider how motivated you were then to loving and pleasing God, and measure this against your relationship with him now, how does it compare? Have you cooled down? Become lukewarm, or cold, or completely indifferent?

Once the novelty of a relationship wears off, if we want it to flourish, then we jolly well have to work at it! Neglected relationships deteriorate. As in the natural, so with the spiritual.

We can find ourselves failing to pay full attention to the things of God. We can allow the monotony and minutiae of life to distract us. We can become preoccupied with our daily struggles, disappointments, or desires. And after a while, as the demands of spouse, family, work, social circles and even church life overwhelm us, we may unconsciously, or deliberately, push God to the back burner of our lives.

Yep – He’s right there  – in the background! Of course we love him. Of course we’re “committed” to him. And of course, we’ll certainly call upon him when trouble arises. But once the crisis is over, to the back burner he returns. Instead of Jesus being our consort, he becomes a convenience.

Dear reader,

Dear child of God,

Dear friend or follower,

If we are to make it as a victorious overcomer throughout 2018, then our relationship with God cannot be secondary. It needs to be a priority. And even if you feel your spiritual life is somewhat satisfactory, there is always room for improvement.

If we want to enjoy a notable year of spiritual growth, satisfaction and triumph, then it is imperative that we connect with and stay connected to the three members of the Godhead – our Heavenly Father, His precious Son Jesus, and the Holy Ghost.

So this year, resolve to draw closer to God. Resolve to make seeking God’s face an absolute priority.

 

This Week’s Prayer Focus:

Let’s pray for ourselves as individuals and for the corporate Body of Christ, that we will develop an ever increasing passion for his presence… that we will pursue a closer, deeper and stronger relationship with him.

 

PRAYER:

Father God,

You are worthy of all praise, glory and honour.

What a privilege you have bestowed upon each member of the Body of Christ by adopting us into your family. Thank you for your unconditional love and faithfulness. Forgive us for the many times that we’ve allowed other things to take pre-eminence in our lives.

Father, your Word says that when we draw closer to you, then you will draw closer to us. Honour your promise today. As we seek a closer connection with you and the other members of the Godhead, cause our souls to hunger and thirst for you. Draw us to yourself with unbreakable cords of love. Entwine our hearts into a deeper, richer relationship with you.

Lord God, may we experience an assurance of mind, which enables us to declare (like Paul), that neither tribulation nor distress, persecution or peril, nakedness or famine, will separate us from your love.  And may we, like the psalmist, seek your face and require the manifestation of your awesome presence within our lives, as a vital necessity. May we love you the way you deserve, and as your Word commands—with all of our heart, all of our mind and all of our strength.

We ask this in faith and in the matchless name of Jesus. Amen.

© Carol Hind

 

*****   *****   *****

 

Sunday’s Supplications

Sunday’s Supplications invites you to not only read the posts but also participate in the prayers. Each fortnight, I hope to introduce a new theme and prayer focus. You are welcome to print off and use each prayer provided, either verbatim or adapted for your particular circumstance. Even better, you can construct your own prayer and share with others by linking to this post. Please note, you do not have to be a blogger to participate.

 

*****   *****   *****

 

Women of Warfare followers and visitors have a blessed and victorious week!