IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, June 15, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

My suggested reading for us today is Acts 1:1-11 (and I am borrowing this suggestion from Beth Moore – John, 90 Days with the Beloved  Disciple) In my study time today, I have been encouraged to look with more expectation for JESUS to return.  I am going to type for you here Beth’s prayer and then my confessional prayer following and that will be our devotion for today.

“Hallelujah, Lord Jesus! Come the day when You Yourself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise.  Then those who are still alive–be it we or a future generation–will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet You, Lord, in the air.  And so we will always be with You, at home in Your visible presences.  Oh, how encouraged I am by this thought and these words! (1 Thess. 4:16-18).  Come quickly–oh, come quickly, Lord Jesus!”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (New American Standard Bible) ¹⁶For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  ¹⁷Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  ¹⁸Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Amen.  How many of my family, extended family would go? Would they all go? Would some stay? Who? And what, what am I doing about it?  Am I a true and faithful witness? And yet let me not sit and ponder ‘me’.  LORD, Holy Spirit, help me yield to You, leaving even my own estimation to You, freeing me to hear You and be moved by You toward others.   Even while I read and pray and wash clothes and dry and fold and iron; cook, clean, teach, write, visit, go and do day in and day out.  Amen and amen.

To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.

ABBA, here I can only add prayer for our IDOKs and Readers that these words on this screen do Your intended work.  And that You again protect and keep safe our IDOK Troops and that You tend our people we have listed for prayer, for their various needs.  And particularly LaJuanna’s heart cry comes to mind and I see You moved with compassion for her and her request.  I am trusting You with it now. I am trusting You now with the many matters on my heart and all the others who read and pray along with us here.  This is Your Work and Your Ministry, we trust You to do what is right for us in JESUS NAME. Amen and amen.

IDOK DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, June 14, 2010

Praise Reports, Prayer Requests and Updates:

Baby Ryder now weights 5 pounds 2.3 ounces!!! He is beautiful! PRAISE THE LORD!!

Get over yourself. Well, I finished it! — the book, that is.  And now that I have, I am NOT announcing that I am over myself BUT I am announcing I have the tools to get over myself.  Alas though it will be a process! This is not a book that you ‘read’ it is a book that you ‘do’.  And it is another one of those books that I will NOT loan to you but I am encouraging you to get yourself a copy and start ‘doing’.   And, again let me offer you a link to the website where you can purchase it.  Get Over Yourself. For me it was worth every cent and every second!

While doing this book, I discovered two tangible things that have deterred me in my quest to get over myself.  Please bear with me as I recount to you here a portion of the book.

“5.   Simplify your life: Clear your pathway!

Several years ago, I was struggling over the same thoughts that repetitively caused me grief and caused me to stumble.  . . .

I was constantly struggling to stay focused . . . . , but I was constantly feeling guilty for my thoughts.  It was more than a nuisance–it was torture! Finally, God revealed to me that there were triggers around my house . . . . .

God spoke to me one day through an illustration in my mind.  He showed me that I was trying to walk along this straight path, but every now and again I would trip over this huge boulder in my way.  He said to me, If  you’ll move the boulder out of your pathway, you’ll stop tripping over it! That was all I needed.”

Me too!

For now I see two boulders in my path (I may find others, but for now, two.), that I am clearing off my path and even when I fall down in the doing of it, I’ll get up and start again.

You may not have any boulders in your path, but if I were a betting woman, I’d bet you do.  If you have been stumbling over them as long as I have been stumbling over mine, you already know what they are — to be sure the Holy Spirit knows. And if you ask Him, He will tell you.

Jennifer’s boulder clearing was a one time thing for that particular issue and her victory was sweet.  Mine will be a longer haul, but I’m expecting a sweet victory as well — however, slow in coming.

So!  Even if you don’t race to the website and buy the book and start doing it, IF you have something in your path that you keep tripping over, move it!  For JESUS SAKE, move it!

2 Chronicles 7:14 (New King James Version)¹⁴ IF My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways,   THEN I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (emphasis mine)

IF we will do what we can do, THEN God will do what we can’t do!

To review the list of names for prayer, please click here.

ABBA, I appreciate being at this place at this screen on Friday afternoon, preparing for Monday.   I am grateful.  As You will, we have a weekend ahead of us.  Our IDOKs and Readers will be in their respective places, doing their respective, hopefully R ‘n’ R, and so I am praying for them now that You, Holy Spirit, will prepare them for this message; that it will be helpful to them; that it will be an encouragement to spur them into action.  I pray  a ‘light bulb’ or two will come on and some sweet, sweet victories will be coming their way, my way too.

And I pray for our IDOK Troops, not only to keep them safe on Monday as others join me in this prayer, but all weekend too.  And I pray as Sunday dawns in every place they are that they will find a place of worship for their knees and their hearts.   Encourage their families to believe You for their safety and protection and encourage them, Holy Spirit, to conduct themselves with honor as they wait.

And I pray for our list of people, what a blessing to give us souls to pray for.  Thank You.  They have many needs.  And I am just now reminded of Ryder’s growth and progress and I want to again Thank You for giving that little boy LIFE.  He is precious, I pray that every day of his life will be dedicated to You for Your Glory.  You have given him a great and glorious start.  Thank You.  I pray that You will keep people in his life to pray for him all the days of his life.   And there are others, many others.  You have been so good to us and we trust Your continued Goodness for all our needs, for all their needs.

I pray for Israel; for peace and protection.  I pray the Gulf Oil spill that it be cleaned.  You have blessed people with solutions but people in power seem to be too proud to listen, I pray You will move them and it will be cleaned.  And I thank You now that even in this You are LORD and Your people will be blessed through this.  I am so glad You are in charge and since You are we don’t have to be afraid or out of control with rage and anger.  Thank You, ABBA.  Thank You in JESUS Name. Amen and amen.

IDOK DEVOTION FOR FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2010

Brainwashing.
Not a term looked upon with approval, usually.  But I’ve come to think of it as a most favorable word.
Moreover, I propose to you that a thorough job of brainwashing needs to commence immediately. Here’s our first dose, found in Isaiah 43:4.  Primarily written to Israel but surely applies to you and me.  Let us pour it onto and into our brains (minds) until it floods our souls and changes the way our hands and feet walk out this Christian life.

Since you are precious in My sight, Since you are honored and I love you, . . .   .

The minds of  ‘men’ have become corrupt and filthy — they do not believe the Love of GOD.  If they did this world would be a much cleaner, safer place to live!  There’s no doubt about it!   The world needs brainwashing with the WATER OF THE WORD!
Bring on the King James or whatever translation reads well to you, HOLY WATER, and start washing!  We in the Body of Christ are dirtier than we think!!  Gab the WORD as though you are a sponge and start washing!
The coming generations will die of filth if we don’t.

We are all appalled and rightly so at the filth and death the oil spill is bringing to our shores … SIN is worldwide bringing more filth and death than any oil spill.
We are appalled at the lack of cleanup and the lack of putting a cap on it and rightly so!
Where’s our aghast at our lack of washing with the WATER OF THE WORD that will eternally clean a soul and snatch her/him from hell?

And yet HE says:[still]  you are precious in My sight, [still] you are honored and I love you, . . .   .

Would to God that His kindness would lead His Church to repentance.
Pray for repentance for ourselves and lost sinners.

ABBA, I can only ask that You convince us of Your Love and our need for washing and that we stand in the FLOOD of Your Word until we are so squeaky clean, that the filth of the world will not stick to us; we will instantly repel it and our aroma is so pleasant and compelling that the peoples of the world in our individual worlds come and say what is that fragrance and where can I get some of it? Oh, ABBA, I would LOVE for that to happen all over the  Church.  Please, Holy Spirit, do not let me rest until I do what is required of me so it will be so.  Amen and Amen in JESUS’ NAME.

And, ABBA, we dare not forget to bring our IDOK Troops for prayer.  Prayer for strength to live godly in an ungodly world.  And prayer for peace and safety in a hostile world.  Protect them, LORD, I pray.  And for all those faces and needs represented by a name You know on our list, we pray for them; we love on them in Your Name LORD JESUS, asking You to comfort them, train them, teach them, and heal them. Amen and amen.