IDOK DEVOTION FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2010

FOR PRAYER AND PRAISE:

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

I set out to read this morning (Tuesday) and my prescribed read was Acts 9:19-31 but somehow I was certain it was Acts 19:19-31 and that is what I read.  And it was so good!

Acts 19:20 reads: So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing. Oh my goodness I love it!  And oh my goodness I want it to be so now, today, amongst us!

And verse 21 reads: Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

Purposed in the spirit.  Oh my goodness I rejoiced over that too!  I wrote in the margin: I like that! Oh to purpose in the Spirit and to go and see.   There’s a need for this in us.  For sure in me and I suspect in you too.  But you know for this to be so of us The Word of the Lord will have to be growing mightily and prevailing in us.

Oh my goodness, make it so LORD.  Make it so!

And then I realized I was suppose to be reading Acts 9… how could I have missed that?  How could I have seen that 19 as a 9?  Oh well.  On to 9 — or is that back to 9?

And then I read: And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. And then I made another note in the margin and it reads: I so like this. I want people to invite me to tell them about Jesus. Holy Spirit, make this happen.  I don’t know what You need to change in me for it to happen but I pray soon it will be so.  And, of course, I dated it so I would know in days, times to come when it happens just when I prayed it.

But something still just did not seem right.  The Text just didn’t seem to match what I was reading in my study guide book.   Oh my goodness!  I did it again!  I was reading Acts 8, not Acts 9!

And then it dawned on me!  I read what was ordained for me to read.  Had I not prayed as I picked up my Bible for ABBA to show me today what I needed for today for me and what I needed to write for our IDOKs?  Yes in deed I had prayed that.

And what I need to say to us today is this:

When we are deterred from what we believe to be the prescribed path, DADDY GOD has purpose in it.  And since He has reminded me I have to tell you that I believe there is Scriptural bases for believing that there are times He even obscures what we see so we will get to the right place at the right time.

The Text I am reminded of is Luke 24: ¹⁶But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him.

And why were they prevented from seeing that it was JESUS walking on the road to Emmaus with them?  I surely believe it was to keep them from missing more of what He had to show them.  It’s a sweet, sweet happening and I offer you a link here to read it.  It’s worth the time!

Verse 31: Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him;

He never keeps us in the ‘dark’ so we cannot see BUT SO WE CAN!

Oh my goodness!  Is that an eye opener or what?  Is that comfort and strength or what?  I say yes, yes, it is!

So!  Oh my goodness, let us not despair with detours, delays and ‘dummy moments’, JESUS has a plan! Let us be glad and SEE it!

You are so making me smile today!  Thank You, ABBA! And all I can say is obscure and reveal as You SEE FIT for each of us!! We want what You want for us.  Amen and amen.

And I’d right now close out and schedule this to post at five  after midnight but there are IDOK Troops who need us to pray for them and there are people on our Praying For These list who are counting on us to pray and we dare not fail to pray.  I remember that Text, don’t remember were it is found but I do know You were faithful and my brother is now serving You.  Thank You, ABBA.  And so we pray now for our IDOK Troops.  We want them to be safe from harm; we want them to live and thrive and come home safe and sound.  But not just in body, we want them safe in spirit and soul too.  We want them to be holy in their conduct; we want them to make right and holy decisions.  We want them to be honorable in their language, in their actions and so, Holy Spirit, we are asking You to keep a short leash on them and snap and snatch them back from evil.

And our Praying For These, again we have read their names and so we pray for them now asking for Your help and intervention for them just as they each need.  Thank You for entrusting them to us for prayer and now we entrust them to You, praying for Your will to be accomplished in them and for them.

And again we pray for the peace of Israel.  We see, we hear the news and Israel’s enemies are many but You are faithful to them and that blesses me, ABBA.  Thank You for the love You have given we the Church for Israel.  We watch them and see Your Hand.  Help us, Holy Spirit, to be faithful and do what You will in this time.  And for America I continue to pray for grace and space, for repentance and salvation.  And for Your persecuted Church I pray for strength and Your Presence to comfort and guide them and for the rest of us, I pray for revival in JESUS NAME and for His sake. Amen and amen.