Monday, October 11, 2010 — IDOK Devotion

Praying for These–to review, please click here.  Also you may want to review Notices Given for a detailed request for prayer for Bob and Vicki.

I am keenly aware this morning of imperfections — MINE and others. And this ONLY turns out good when I press on through it.

People have ways, people have quirks and from time to time or even often those ways and quirks can irk me.  You know what I mean?

And as I have been thinking along those lines, I determined in my ole Tennessee vernacular that I need to  ‘make allowances’ for them. That is when my beloved can see that I am occupied with important matters but he has thoughts that just have to find expression — so I listen. But do I listen sweetly?  That depends on whether or not I make allowances. It goes something like this.

If I’m not making allowances, he’s interrupting me.  He’s delaying me.  He’s intruding.  If I’m making allowances, he’s sharing his morning with me.  He’s opening up and giving me a gift from his heart and mind. And if I’m not waxing poetically, he’s just wanting to tell me something before he forgets it — how can I fault him for that when I KNOW how that is, oh so very well?!!

And what if I am talking and another interrupts me so that my contribution to the conversation is totally negated — passed off  and over while they go on with their thoughts and I’m left sitting in their verbal dust.  That is a crucial time for me.  I can think I am insignificant to them.  I can think they don’t like me.  I can think, ‘well, fine then; I just won’t say anything.’ I can think any one or all of those things.  And I have!  And I have suffered greatly because of it. Or I can make allowances for them and I can immediately, there in the dust of the conversation, find solace and wisdom in the ONE who made a HUGE allowance for me on the CROSS OF CALVARY.

JESUS paid it all, all to HIM I owe.  Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

But you don’t have to ‘listen’ to me sing … here’s a YouTube.

Galatians 6 (King James Version) ²Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

And so You did, LORD, so You did.  Thank You.  Thank You.

Holy hugs, kt

Friday, October 8, 2010 — IDOK Devotion

Praying for These, click here for review.

Mark 6: ³⁰The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught.

³¹And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)

³²They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves. (New American Standard Bible)

Come to a secluded place and rest — it’s an invitation from THE MASTER. Let us send in our RSVP in the affirmative.

ABBA, in JESUS Name I am here this morning asking for rest for the BODY OF CHRIST. Rest from our labors of doing life in our strength instead of Yours; rest from disobedience; and yes, for some, ABBA, I am asking a respite from the onslaught of the Evil One and for them to have a vacation from stress and troubles,  meet with them in a holy place and REST them, I pray.

And Legrand comes to mind so I am joining others in praying for a rest, a permanent rest from seizures for him and praying his paintings will accomplish what You have in mind for him and his family. Thank You that we can pray for this precious family; I pray Your very best for them, ABBA.

And Carolyn comes to mind, You know her request, You know the struggle, You know the heart of this daughter caring for her mother and I pray for strength and mercy for both.

And, ABBA, we’ve reviewed our Praying for These, so many hurts and illnesses and struggles, hard stuff to bear and yet I know You are Good and Your heart is for each of them and so I pray for rest and strength and healing for each one.

And we continue to pray for our IDOK Troops to be safe and protected in spirit, soul and body and to come home safe and sound.  And we pray for Israel for peace and for security and protection. And for America, I pray for our salvation.  I pray for the November elections to reprove and replace the ruthless and for people to come to office who will uphold and adhere to the Constitution that You gave us to bless this Country.   Thank You for allowing me to live here; help me help.  Amen and amen.

holy hugs, kt

Thursday, October 7, 2010 — IDOK Devotion

Please click here for Praying for These.

Acts 16:  ²²And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.  ²³And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:  ²⁴Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.  ²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.  (KJV)

And the prisoners heard them. James, our Minister of Music at Satsuma First Baptist, read this text to us tonight (Wednesday).  And when I heard, ‘and the prisoners heard them’, I knew I had heard the makings of an IDOK lesson.

We are well familiar with this account, are we not? Paul and Silas had been preaching in the Name of JESUS and some folks didn’t like it so they had them beaten and then confined them to prison. If you read on you will see and perhaps you recall they were cast into the inner prison without medical attention — their backs were raw and bleeding (verse 33)!

Picture this with me. Paul and Silas have been beaten and they have the stripes to prove it, their feet are in stocks, they are in a dark prison cell with no window and most likely little to no light (verse 29) and what do they do?  They pray and praise!

And the prisoners heard them.

Here’s the point.  Even though thus far we are not beaten with many stripes, nor have we been cast into prison and our feet placed in stocks for ministering in the Name of JESUS, we do have varying degrees of trouble and you know what — ‘the prisoners are listening’!  People bound in the prison of sin – bound for hell, are watching and listening to the way we handle our troubles and sorrows.  They need us to pray and praise.   For if we pray and praise, perhaps they like the Philippian Jailer will say yes to JESUS and be set free!

Do you think Paul and Silas thought the salvations of the Jailer and his family were worth a beating?  I do.  But you know that’s not the reason they prayed and praised — they prayed and praised because JESUS IS WORTH IT! At least He was/is to them . . .  . Is He to us? Will we pray and praise next time some one pulls out in front of us on the four lane? What does it say about us, if we fuss and fume instead of pray and praise?

ABBA, thank You for this Word; please don’t let us forget it.  HOLY SPIRIT, I pray You will put a watch over our mouths and when fussing and fuming and blaming and complaining words start forming in our minds, quickly remind us to pray and praise.  Amen and amen in JESUS NAME.

Holy hugs, kt