Tailor-Made Suit

Confirmation that one is on the right track fits like a tailor-made suit!

You may recall I’ve been praying in themes this week; don’t know how long it will be so. I have a huge propensity to expect GOD to do things the same way on a continual basis and that is appropriate in matters wherein He has told us He does not change.  But I’m off point here. Forgive me.

Theme praying.

Wednesday: that the LORD would COURT my people
Thursday: willing spirits

Today: a dose of honesty to fall

So that was my prayer for us all. And since I have not written a post for today – well, you know here I am sharing with you.  So for this post, I first keyed in honesty at Bible Gateway dot-com, and here’s the result:

1 Timothy 2:1-3 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
2for kings and for all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
via 1 Timothy 2:1-3 KJ21 – I exhort therefore, first of all, that – Bible Gateway.

And so I received this blessed confirmation that for today, the theme is surely correct. For you see every Friday is specific prayer day for the President, his family; Congress and the House; Governmental Officials all the way down to my City Officials.

And what was today’s theme: a dose of honesty to fall?

And what does the TEXT read?

I welcome you to join in this prayer for a dose of honesty.  For sure I know, every one of us needs on a daily basis to be fully honest with ourselves before GOD and perhaps there are some others in our lives that we need to come clean with – not in anger or maliciousness but with the Love and Honesty of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Thank You, Father.  You have heard and I pray now for a healthy dose of honesty to fall upon us all. And again we pray and ask that You heal our sick and raise the spiritually dead to eternal life. Amen and ____________.

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,

Kathie 

P.S. that closing is one of my favorites that I have used all these years.
I am mindful to be honest as I edit this post from April 2012, here in January of 2023, Friday has not been a day for specific praying for governmental offices for a long while.
During these 11 years, some things have changed for me like the placing of confidence in political leaders.
I don’t do that anymore.
I do desire to see people convinced of sin, of Righteousness, and of judgment to come. I do desire to see people saved, including people holding political office.
I do see America with new eyes; even so, more so, I want all people, including American People, to repent and be delivered from darkness.
Today, I maintain a godly appreciation for the abundant comforts and luxuries here in America, but as GOD’s people, we owe our full allegiance to our Father and King. With all our beings, we must be looking for His Return and allow HIM to prepare us for His Return — we can’t do that fretting politics.

One more thought: praying for a dose of honesty — I am sure Father heard and I am sure He was willing to gift every willing soul with a complete dose of honesty.
Eleven years gives evidence  — The majority of people in America have rejected GOD — particularly those in political offices. Still, we can pray for a dose of honesty to yet be received one by one.

It Makes Sense To Me

It is occurring more often now: theme praying. That is my general praying over the day’s list with a blanket request; which, of course, does not circumvent specific requests.  And my general request today was one I know is bigger than I know.  :)  It was for the LORD JESUS to court my people. To court them, pursue them with the passion of the Cross. I take no credit for it. It’s a HOLY SPIRIT thing. I am just grateful He leads our praying. 

So as I sat to write to you about it I googled court and found this:

To attempt to gain; seek
To behave so as to invite or incur
To try to gain the love or affections of, especially to seek to marry.
via Court – definition of Court by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia..

Yep! That’s what I was asking. For myself as well as for you and others.  You see some of the folks I pray for are estranged from JESUS. Some of them by their very own ‘testimony’ do not know Him nor do they presently want to know Him. Some profess to know Him but are finding it difficult to walk the Road He walks. And wonderfully others are head over heels in love with Him, yet there is always more depths of love to go with Him. And in all these seasons it is JESUS who must initiate, must court the soul or that soul will never surrender to the marriage, (the GOD covenant relationship) and for those who have come into the marriage with Him, we have a propensity to stray. So I asked for martial courting (Horizontal marriages would do well with some courting too.), wooing us to walk closely with Him.

I figure it this way: who does not want to be courted? Who does not want another to behave toward them in such a way as to invite them into a pleasant, comforting, good relationship? Who does not want someone to love them?  And what better PERSON than JESUS CHRIST?

And with the Passion of the Cross? Think about it! HE loves us so much that He endured THAT and ALL it entailed! That’s what I’m asking for! For any soul gone astray or any flirting with going astray, for the HOLY SPIRIT to ‘hotly’ pursue that one with the Passion of the Cross.

However, I am reminded that HE is not in this alone and these hot pursuits that I am petitioning Him for may require some assistance on my part. Not that HE needs my assistance or yours! Yet, for sure, He chooses to allow US to work with Him. How glorious!!! So again, HOLY SPIRIT, pursue me that I may pursue YOU and others as You direct.

It makes sense to me!

I Corinthians 3: 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
via 1 Corinthians 3:8-10 KJV – Now he that planteth and he that – Bible Gateway.

Romans 2:4 New Century Version (NCV)
4 He has been very kind and patient, waiting for you to change, but you think nothing of his kindness. Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives.
via Romans 2:4 NCV – He has been very kind and patient, – Bible Gateway.

Thank You, HOLY SPIRIT, Thank You, ABBA, Thank You, JESUS, for giving Yourself to us. To pursue us, to draw us to Yourself. Thank You for the will to come to You. Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the gift of prayer. And so again I pray that You court us all in just the way we need in each of our individual stations today. Heal our sick, mend our hearts, restore our hearts and families for Your glory. Amen and . . .  . 

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!

Dish for Dish

In the quiet of this morning doing morning blessings I heard Chuck Swindoll. He was speaking of kindness. Random acts of kindness. And with that, Scripture came to mind. I did not recall it verbatim nor even its Bible Address, but I got the message.

Here’s where I started.

What do ye more than they?

It’s the LORD speaking to the people reasoning with them that loving those who love you is no fine accomplishment. Loving those who hate you is the standard. And so when we dish back what is dished to us the question is WHAT DO YE MORE THAN THEY?

How different are we from the ones who railed upon us when we render railing back to them?

It’s a good question – JESUS asked it? How will I answer it? How will you answer it?

Matthew 5:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
via Matthew 5 NASB – The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes – Bible Gateway.

The Apostle Paul took his cues from JESUS and got in on the instructions too. We are only wise when we heed.

Romans 12:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men.
via Rom 12:17 NASB – Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. – Bible Gateway.

Random acts of kindness, deliberate acts of kindness in response to deliberate acts of meanness, oh ABBA, what a huge and perfect standard. None of us are capable of doing it, but YOU LORD JESUS enable us. Thank You. What an honor and a privilege and a joy it is to rise above the normal and embrace Your enable-ment to do right in the midst of wrong. That is what I want. It is for that I pray for myself and for each who come here to read and pray. And in our coming to You this morning we bring our needs and the needs of others. Take a reading, LORD, on our hearts. See all the needs, see all the ills and disease and weaknesses, hidden and plain, and work miracles in us and through us. Heal our sick and raise the spiritually dead we pray. Amen and . . . .   .

We have the God-given Right to do right in this wrong World,
Praying (PFT)!