Bible-Based Healing Confessions Over Headaches

We don’t read a great deal in the Word about the headaches specifically, but they are certainly a part of the curse (which, incidentally, His children have been made free from, when we embrace and walk in covenant with our God). One miracle I can call to mind instantly is in II Kings Chapter 4, where Elisha raised the Shunammite woman’s son back from the dead after the child died with terrible pains in his head. Perhaps migraine, aneurism, heat stroke…we don’t know exactly what proved fatal for that boy; but we can surmise from that account that God is well-able to cure not only a headache that feels like it could kill us…but also whatever the root cause behind it might be.

Exodus 34:8 – And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. FATHER, IT’S NO WONDER WHY THE ENEMY WOULD TRY TO RATTLE ME WITH A HEADACHE. YOU PLACE GREAT VALUE ON THE HEAD. IT IS THE SEAT OF OUR SOULS, THE ORIGIN OF OUR THOUGHTS. IT’S OUR SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY. JUST AS THE PRIEST WOULD PLACE HIS HAND ON THE HEAD OF THE ANIMAL TO SACRIFICE FOR SINS OF THE PEOPLE, TO TRANSFER THE SINS TO THE ANIMAL, LORD, I KNOW THAT THE HEAD IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN SIN AND SALVATION FOR ME. IT GOVERNS MY DECISION-MAKING. PLEASE, PLACE YOUR HAND ON MY HEAD, FATHER, AND TRANSFER OUT THE CAUSE OF MY PAIN IN JESUS’ NAME. DRAW IT OUT OF ME, FOR JESUS HAS ALREADY BECOME MY SACRIFICE. I BOW MY HEAD TO YOU AND WORSHIP, EVEN WHILE I WAIT FOR THE PAIN TO SUBSIDE, I BOW THIS SEAT OF MY AUTHORITY TO YOU IN SUBMISSION. I HUMBLE MYSELF BEFORE YOU WHEN I AM WELL, AND ALSO WHEN I AM IN PAIN. THANK YOU FOR HEALING ME OF THIS HEADACHE, O LORD!

Psalms 23:5 – Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. FATHER, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING THE ENEMY TO WATCH AS YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL AND CAUSE MY CUP TO RUN OVER WITH YOUR BLESSINGS! I WILL FEEL LIKE ENJOYING THE FEAST OF YOUR GOODNESS BECAUSE MY HEAD IS ANOINTED AND ABSORBING YOUR HEALING POWER.

Psalms 140:7 – O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. THANK YOU, FATHER, FOR COVERING MY HEAD IN THE DAY OF BATTLE. TODAY THAT BATTLE WOULD CAUSE DISTRESS IN MY HEAD BY PAIN AND CONFUSION, BUT I RECEIVE STRENGTH FROM YOU AND I ALSO RECEIVE RELIEF FROM PAIN, TOO. THE DEVIL MAY BE TRYING TO WAR AGAINST ME, BUT I AM WARRING RIGHT BACK, IN JESUS’ NAME, AND I’M COVERED!

Psalms 141:5 – Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. THANK YOU LORD, FOR RIGHTEOUS COUNSEL WHICH SPEAKS TRUTH INTO MY LIFE. WHENEVER I SUBMIT TO THE AUTHORITY OF GODLY COUNSELORS AND TO YOUR WORD, IT’S AN ANOINTING OIL ON MY HEAD. MY HEAD IS NOT BREAKING, IT’S BEING HEALED, IN JESUS’ NAME!

John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. FATHER, ALTHOUGH THIS HEADACHE HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO ROB ME OF MY PEACE, I CLING TO YOUR PEACE, AND I FORBID EVEN SICKNESS TO TAKE IT FROM ME. I RELEASE ANY WORRY, STRESS, TENSION, AND FEAR WHICH MIGHT BE AGGRAVATING THE SYMPTOMS, AND I COMMAND PEACE TO REIGN IN MY MORTAL BODY NOW, IN JESUS’ NAME! PEACE, PERFECT LOVE, DRIVE OUT ALL FEAR AND DOUBT WHICH OPEN THE DOOR TO SICKNESS AND DISEASE. I GIVE THANKS TO YOU, LORD, AS I FEEL THE TENSION RELAXING IN MY BACK, SHOULDERS, NECK AND HEAD. THANK YOU THAT THIS PEACE IS ALSO CALMING MY STOMACH FROM ANY NAUSEA AND MY NERVES FROM FEELING A WRECK. I AM FREE FROM THE CURSE!

Jonah 4:8 – And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. FATHER, THANK YOU FOR HEALING ME OF HEADACHES CAUSED BY BRIGHT LIGHTS, HEAT, AND BAROMETRIC PRESSURE CHANGES. THANK YOU AS WELL FOR HELPING ME TO RELEASE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS THAT OPEN ME UP TO SUFFERING. IF I AM HARBORING UNFORGIVENESS, A GRUDGE, HURT FEELINGS, HATRED, PREJUDICE, OR ANY OTHER EMOTION THAT DISPLEASES YOU, I RELEASE IT NOW AND ASK YOUR FORGIVENESS. I DON’T WANT TO GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT—THAT’S EVEN WORSE TO ME THAN HAVING THE HEADACHE. PLEASE, REVEAL TO ME WHEN MY ACTIONS WARRANT REPENTANCE AND TRUE CHANGE!

1 Samuel 28:2 – And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever. FATHER, I PUT YOU IN CHARGE OF MY HEAD TODAY. MAY YOU BE THE “KEEPER OF MY HEAD” FOREVER, BECAUSE IT IS IN THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE WHEN YOU ARE KEEPING WATCH OVER ME. THE HEADACHE DOESN’T HAVE PERMISSION TO REIGN OVER MY HEAD AND MY THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS, BECAUSE YOU ARE IN CHARGE!

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. LORD, I ASK YOU FOR WISDOM TO REVEAL ANY FOODS, DRINK, CHEMICALS, PRESERVATIVES, ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES, EYESTRAIN, OR OTHER FACTORS TO ME NOW. I EMBRACE YOUR WISDOM, AND I WILL USE WHATEVER WORDS OF KNOWLEDGE YOU SEND INTO MY LIFE TO EQUIP MYSELF FOR PREVENTION OF FUTURE HEADACHES! I AM NOT THE VICTIM ANY LONGER OF MY ENVIRONMENT, BUT I AM PROACTIVE TO MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES. I THANK YOU FOR HONORING MY HEALTHY CHOICES, AND FOR SURPASSING EVEN MY DILIGENT EFFORTS WITH YOUR HEALING POWER.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; THANK YOU, GOD, FOR PROVING OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT I CAN TRUST YOU EVEN WHEN I DON’T HAVE A GRIP ON WHAT’S GOING ON. I DON’T FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT OPENS THE DOOR TO SICKNESS, AND I DON’T ALWAYS FORESEE AN ATTACK OF THE ENEMY—BUT OH, FATHER, YOU DO! I TRUST YOU TO BRING THE MANIFESTATION OF THE HEALING ALREADY MADE AVAILABLE TO ME BY THE ATONEMENT.

Jonah 2:5 – The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. THANK YOU FATHER, FOR HEALING ME FROM HEADACHES WHICH FEEL LIKE A TIGHT BAND AROUND MY HEAD. YOU ARE PROTECTING ME FROM ANY LONG-TERM DAMAGE. IF MY BLOOD PRESSURE IS HIGH, OR IF FLUID RETENTION OR OTHER HEALTH FACTORS ARE CAUSING MY HEAD TO HURT, I THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF THOSE OTHER CONDITIONS AS WELL, WHETHER THEY BE KNOWN OR HIDDEN.

Psalm 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. FATHER, I COMMIT MY HEALTH, MY PLANS, MY HABITS, MY AFFECTIONS, AND ALL I HAVE TO YOU. I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO REARRANGE WHATEVER IN MY LIFE IS CAUSING ME TO HAVE SICKNESS OR COMPROMISED HEALTH. THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF ME AND FOR CAUSING HEALING TO BE EVIDENT, AS I REMAIN COMMITTED ONLY TO YOU.

Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. JESUS, I CAN BELIEVE! YOU’VE SHOWN ME TIME AND AGAIN THROUGHOUT THE WORD THAT MY GOD CAN BE TRUSTED! ALL THINGS REALLY ARE POSSIBLE TO ME BECAUSE I CHOOSE NOT TO BE SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE ENDURING POWER OF MY HEAVENLY FATHER!

Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? FATHER, YOU ARE EVEN GOD OF MY FLESH. YOU AREN’T JUST TAKING RESIDENCE IN MY SPIRIT MAN; YOU ARE ALSO IN EVERY CELL OF MY BODY, EVERY ORGAN, EVERY BREATH, EVERY DROP OF BLOOD. NOTHING IS HIDDEN INSIDE MY BODY—NOT EVEN DISEASE—THAT YOU CANNOT DISCOVER AND ANNIHILATE IF NECESSARY. I TRUST YOU TO HEAL THIS HEADACHE AND WHATEVER IS CAUSING IT. YOU ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY ASPIRIN, ANY PAIN PILL, ANY THERAPY. I TAKE THE BLOOD OF JESUS AND APPLY IT TO THE PORTALS OF MY MIND. I APPLY IT TO SINUS CAVITY, MY BRAIN, MY BRAIN STEM, MY CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND ALL THE VERTEBRAE THAT MAKE UP MY SPINAL COLUMN. I RECEIVE HEALING AND ALIGNMENT IN ALL THE AFFECTED AREAS. IN JESUS’ NAME, I DECLARE THAT THERE IS NO ABNORMAL CONSTRICTION OR DILATION OF BLOOD VESSELS, NO TUMORS OR GROWTHS, NO BLOCKAGES, NO PINCHED NERVES, NO IMPINGEMENTS OR CRIMPING, OR BULGED DISKS, AND THERE IS NO MORE TENSION IN MY NECK MUSCLES. THANK YOU FOR OPENING UP MY SINUSES AND HEALING ME OF ALLERGIES. THANK YOU FOR DISSOLVING THE CAUSE OF THIS HEADACHE LIKE A SNOWBALL ON TOP OF A STOVE! IN JESUS’ NAME, I SEE THAT HEADACHE BEGIN TO MELT AND EVAPORATE. THERE IS NOTHING TOO HARD FOR YOU, O GOD!

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” FATHER, AS YOUR CHILD I’M NOT EXEMPT FROM ATTACKS BY THE ENEMY, BUT I AM SAFE IN YOU! THIS HEADACHE IS AN ATTACK ON MY WELL-BEING AND MY HAPPINESS; BUT I WILL NOT DESPAIR. JESUS, YOU OVERCAME THE WORLD, AND I AM IN YOU. I REAP THE BENEFITS OF YOUR TAKING THE KEYS OF DEATH, HELL, AND THE GRAVE! THANK YOU THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS PROVIDE AN OUTLET FROM THE TORMENTS OF THE WICKED ONE. THIS HEADACHE TOO SHALL PASS!

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. THANKS, PAPA GOD, FOR PERFECT PEACE AS I RELEASE THE FRUSTRATIONS OF THE DAY INTO YOUR HANDS. MY HEAD MAY HAVE BEEN HURTING, BUT MY MIND IS FIXED FIRMLY ON YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE THE SOURCE OF MY HEALING! I TRUST YOU AND I WAIT CONFIDENTLY FOR THE HEALING TO MANIFEST, IN JESUS’ NAME.

Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs–heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. JESUS, WE HAVE THE PROMISE THAT IF WE SHARE IN YOUR SUFFERINGS, WE MAY ALSO SHARE IN YOUR GLORY! I DON’T KNOW THIS FOR A FACT, BUT I IMAGINE THAT NOT ONE PART OF YOUR BODY WASN’T HURTING TERRIBLY ON THE CROSS—INCLUDING YOUR HEAD. YOU SUFFERED ALL THINGS THAT WE HAVE, YET WITHOUT SIN. YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE A BAD HEADACHE! YOU LOVE ME ENOUGH TO SHARE YOUR HEIRSHIP WITH ME…AND THE HEALING THAT COMES FROM BEING IN COVENANT WITH OUR FATHER. THANK YOU!

2 Corinthians 1:5-6 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. THANK YOU FATHER, THAT YOU ARE LIBERAL IN YOUR BLESSINGS TOWARD ME. I MAY SUFFER IN THE FLESH FROM TIME TO TIME, AND I MAY HAVE PAIN IN MY BODY, BUT YOU ARE DOLING OUT MORE THAN ENOUGH COMFORT TO CONSOLE ME AS I WAIT FOR THE PAIN TO SUBSIDE. THANK YOU THAT YOU CARE FOR MY NEEDS, AND THAT YOU REWARD ME FOR PATIENTLY LOOKING TO YOU FOR MY HELP.

Psalm 71:20 You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. LORD, THANK YOU FOR RESTORING ME FROM EVEN MY WORST SICKNESSES AND PAIN. I WILL NOT ALWAYS S BE HURTING LIKE I AM IN THIS MOMENT…THERE IS A REST IF I WILL CONTINUE TO CONFESS YOUR WORD AND BELIEVE. I TRUST YOU TO WORK ALL THINGS FOR MY GOOD! THIS HEADACHE HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO PASS.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. FATHER, I CAST THE BURDEN OF THIS PAIN, AS WELL AS ANY WORRIES I MAY HAVE, UPON YOU. I CLIMB INTO MY PAPA GOD’S LAP AND ALLOW YOU TO CRADLE ME AND COMFORT ME WHILE I AM IN PAIN. YOU WILL NEVER ALLOW SICKNESS AND PAIN TO PLUCK ME OUT OF YOUR HAND! THEY CANNOT SHAKE ME OUT OF YOUR PRESENCE.

Psalm 103:2-3 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases. I BLESS YOU, FATHER, FOR WHO YOU ARE AND ALL YOU’VE DONE FOR ME. THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO LOVE ME AND HEAR MY CRIES FOR HELP. THANK YOU FOR FORGIVING MY WORST SINS, EVEN THE ONES I HAVE COMMITTED MORE THAN ONCE. THANK YOU FOR HEALING ALL MY DISEASES. EVEN THIS HEADACHE HAS TO GO AWAY BECAUSE YOU HEAL ALL MY DISEASE.

Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. FATHER, I MAY DEAL WITH MY SHARE OF AFFLICTIONS, BUT I AM NOT CHAINED TO THEM! YOU DELIVER ME OUT OF EVERY SNARE, TRAP, ATTACK, AMBUSH; EVERY ACCIDENT, ILLNESS, ATTACK ON MY FAMILY, ATTACK ON MY CHARACTER, ATTACK ON MY FAITH. NOTHING ESCAPES YOUR WATCH OVER ME! IF THE ENEMY DARES TRY TO SLIP ONE PAST YOU, HE WILL HAVE TO WATCH IN VAIN AS YOU RESCUE ME. THANK YOU THAT NOT EVEN PHYSICAL PAIN IS BEYOND YOUR CAPABILITY TO DELIVER.

Psalm 30:2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. THANK YOU, LORD, FOR PAYING ATTENTION TO MY CRIES FOR HELP! YOU DON’T DESPISE ME FOR BEING WEAK AND NEEDY, BUT YOU HAVE GREAT COMPASSION ON ME WHEN I AM HURTING. THANK YOU FOR RESTORING MY HEALTH AND FOR HOLDING MY HAND AS I WAIT FOR THE PAIN TO SUBSIDE.

Psalm 119:50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. THANK YOU FATHER, THAT YOUR WORD GIVES ME LIFE. I AM NOT ONLY COMFORTED AS I BATTLE THIS HEADACHE, I HAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT IT IS ALREADY HEALED BY THE VICIOUS STRIPES JESUS BORE ON THE WAY TO CALVARY’S HILL. HE GAVE HIS LIFE, I NOW HAVE LIFE. THANK YOU FOR HEALING THIS HEADACHE AND ALL MY AFFLICTIONS!

Prayer Confession Over Anxiety

I am sitting down in Your presence, Papa God, spending the night with my Most High God. I am pressing in close to You–close as I can possibly get. I’m Your little shadow–right under Your wing! I say to You, “Abba, You’re my refuge. I trust in You and I’m safe!”

That’s right…and even now, I thank You for rescuing me from hidden traps, shielding me from deadly hazards. Your huge outstretched arms are protecting me— under them I AM perfectly safe; Your arms fend off all harm. YOU LOVE ME AND I’M CERTAIN OF IT!

I will fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night, not flying arrows (or bad news, or big bills, or negative doctors’ reports, or money worries, or even family drama) in the daytime. None of these things will cause me to lose my peace and not one ounce of sleep!

I’m not affected by fear of disease that prowls through the darkness, nor of disaster that erupts at high noon. When the enemy does his worst, YOU WILL DO YOUR BEST! When he tries to flood me with despair, YOU are my floodwall of protection and YOU ARE SHUTTING THE FLOODGATE ON DESPAIR! I am safe until the torrent subsides.

Even though others succumb all around, drop like flies right and left, no harm will even graze me. I am standing untouched, watching it all from a distance, I watch the wicked turn into corpses, watching it on tv news, yet not being a part of it. I DON’T FEAR THAT THOSE SAME THINGS WILL HAPPEN TO ME!

Yes, Papa, because You are my refuge, the High God my very own home, evil can’t get close to me, harm can’t get through the door. You’ve ordered Your angels to guard me wherever I go…and that’s just what they’re doing! Even if I would stumble, they’ll catch me; their job is to keep me from falling. Thank you, Papa God, for having my back (and all the rest of me) covered!

There may be feisty young lions and cunning serpents lying in wait on my pathway, but You’re keeping me safe. I walk safely along just as though they’re not even there…and if they try to attack, You’re empowering me to just kick them out of my path. I will treat them as the nuisance that they are and nothing more. They will not break my spirit and they will not break my stride.

Abba, You’ve said, “If you’ll hold on to Me for dear life, I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me. Call Me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party. I’ll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!”

Well, that’s just what I’m doing! Thank You for getting me out of trouble, for giving me the best of care as I strive to know and trust You more. Thank You for always answering when I call, for staying right with me through thick and thin. Thank You for rescuing me and then making me feel celebrated and special…because I’m Your child and I know You love me! Thank You for quality of life, a satisfied life, and a perfect salvation which will last me all of eternity.

I am taking a deep breath now and breathing in LIFE. I receive Your Holy Spirit with every breath! I am exhaling and pushing out every negative thought. I expel any thoughts that would crowd my mind from the knowledge that YOU are in control. I clear my soul of any problem that tries to look as tall and strong as my Lord Jesus! Any idea that violates my peace, any thought that would cause me to doubt that YOU are Sovereign, I arrest, handcuff, bind, toss into jail and throw away the key!
In Jesus’ name, anxiety has no more control over my life!

(Adapted into a prayer from Psalm 91:1-16 Message and KJV translations; and also from Isaiah 59:19, John 20:22 and 2 Corinthians 10:5)

Healing: Miracle for All Ages

“ As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now for war, both to go out and to come in.” (Caleb, at age 85 – as recorded in the book of Joshua, Chapter 14)

As many of you wait for healing to manifest in your bodies, let me dispel a myth that the enemy may be trying to circulate in your reasoning. God doesn’t grant healing based on age; healing was purchased in the Atonement, and manifests in our bodies as we exercise faith to receive it. Period. God is not like our modern healthcare system–not even a government-run healthcare system! “The system” would say that you don’t deserve a new liver because you were an alcoholic. They would say that based on your age, it’s not feasible to do heart surgery or give you a transplant. At your age, cancer treatment is beyond the acceptable practice; or dementia and clogged arteries and failing kidneys are to be accepted. You need to just accept that you are approaching end-of-life and that you aren’t as worth saving as, say, a 20-year old.

Don’t be upset with them…they’re mere humans. They are working with limited know-how, resources, and only so much money. They also have some among them who are also motivated by greed; maybe even a few who would like to play God…but not all. They operate in the carnal, natural realm. They’re good; they do a whole lot of good in their element, but their scope is limited.

But! When you approach God’s throne of grace to obtain help (and health) in your time of need, God is under no such restrictions. He will hear and answer prayer whether you have 50 more years to live or 50 more hours. When you have been satisfied with your number of days, you can transition out of a healed body into eternity instead of allowing the enemy to chisel you away to nothing. Wouldn’t it be something to pass from a healthy body whose organs were viable enough to donate to the next recipient? Think about that!

If no one’s ever reinforced that with you, then hear it now! It’s a real game-changer! God will continue to invest in you when you’re 95 just like He did when you were 15, because it’s impossible to waste what comes from an infinite supply. There’s not “only so much” healing to go around. And you–yes, YOU–have the same grace to walk in it as someone younger, more productive, more socially upright, and better-insured! Don’t bow your head in shame and say, “I don’t feel right asking for healing when others are so much worse off than I am.” Ask for yourself AND for them too!

When as an “old man” receiving the commission to lead the children of Israel out of bondage, Moses presented his terrible stuttering (and the self-conscious shyness resulting from it) to God as the reason why he wasn’t an ideal candidate. The Lord cooled his jets really quick by asking, “Did I not make men’s mouths?” The same God Who makes men’s mouths just so happens to also unclog arteries, restore sight and hearing, quicken damaged limbs, dry up cancers, and repair a diabetes-ravaged pancreas! He’s perfected making something out of nothing, and He doesn’t have to wait for someone to die to give you a transplant…wait, Jesus already did that!

Don’t listen to wicked spirits who would taunt you and say, as Job’s wife did, “Why don’t you just curse God, die, and accept it!” Rather, why not approach God’s presence today, having cleared your heart of doubt, unforgiveness, secret sins, and all hindrances…and present a claim ticket for that healing which is already been provided for you. God will not make you fill out any forms, put you on a waiting list, or ask you any health-related questions. He will not grant your request based on a limited pool of resources. Your answer is only restricted by how much you are willing to ask and believe for–so do exactly what the Word says you can do. Approach His throne boldly! Walk in your full potential, in Jesus’ name!

The Cheerfulness of Obedient, Smart Giving

We have an abundance of “smart” electronics these days, don’t we? Smart phones. Smart cars. They weren’t designed to keep us from having to actually be smart, though! I’m talking today about giving, and how we can give intelligently by giving OBEDIENTLY.

There’s really a difference, you know. The difference is the fruit that is borne from the seed we sow. Generosity is a noble and wonderful trait (the Bible says for us to be givers!) when it works in tandem with obedience to God. We should indeed be cheerful and liberal givers; but it’s doubly important that we listen for God’s instructions, because foolish generosity is, well, FOOLISH. The whole of that text says this (I love the Voice Translation of 2 Cor. 9:7): Giving grows out of the heart—otherwise, you’ve reluctantly grumbled “yes” because you felt you had to or because you couldn’t say “no,” but this isn’t the way God wants it. For we know that “God loves a cheerful giver.” When our giving is God-directed, it is smart giving; obedient giving which isn’t given for ulterior motives, or given out of guilt or compulsion or a need to just feel good!

A generous parent, for instance, can harm his or her child through excessive giving not tempered by wisdom. Would you give your child candy for breakfast just because he or she wants it? Of course not! But would you breed a materialistic appetite in your child by enabling him or her to get every single thing the child wants, just for the asking? Do you operate in fear of not being your child’s friend, when in reality, your child needs you to set boundaries, to say no once in a while? Following God’s direction will keep perfect balance instead of making the child entitled, spoiled, selfish, wasteful. You can actually TEACH your child by anointed example as you give wisely. This applies in every area of our lives, not just parenting! Sometimes we have to say no to ourselves! I know I sure do! Read on.

Remember the song, “What a Friend We Have In Jesus?” Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer…

That familiar verse perfectly sums up our lives when we don’t listen for His voice! Yes, it’s true. We’ve gotten used to just asking for things…perhaps we need to return to asking for Him to reveal His will in decisions we are facing. It even applies to our giving of our time, talent, and treasure. I know all too well what it’s like to give just because it feels good. The importance however goes beyond my flesh feeling good, and therefore, my motivation must have a higher purpose than gratifying my flesh!

How can one be a selfish giver, you might ask…sounds like an oxymoron! It’s taken and is still taking time and experience, and also a deeper knowledge of my Lord through intimate relationship, to know that responsibility accompanies our ability to say yes. My ability to say NO has in times past gotten me into trouble. Hey Lisa, can you join this club? Can you go here and do that and can you be available at all hours for anything anyone asks? Oh yeah…I’ve been so bogged down with to-do’s which I agreed to in order to be a people pleaser. Then, exhausted, I would find myself bitter at having no downtime, or nothing at all left. Often, I’ve had not one piece of fruit to show for it, because I didn’t have the courage to say, “I’ll get back to you…I really need to talk to God before I commit to this!”

Well, go back to the passage in the Bible where Saul took the spoils of war after God had specifically told him not to…and then he tried to appease God by sacrificing some of the livestock on altars to justify his disobedience of a direct order! Talk about insulting God’s omniscience! The Scriptures tell us that obedience is better than sacrifice. Saul’s disobedience would eventually cost him his kingdom…even his descendants would suffer consequences because of his foolishness. We ourselves can undo all the good of our generosity whenever we sidestep what God has already instructed. Why would we not take the counsel of the One Who actually KNOWS the outcome? When we have His voice, we already have the inside track to what is going to be a blessing, be blessed, and bear fruit!

Bear in mind, He will sometimes direct us to give when it DOESN’T have that euphoric, how-wonderful-it-feels effect! Can we respond when there’s a need in our own life? Can we be as the widow who cooks her last meal for the prophet before there’s evidence we will have enough for ourselves? Don’t stop being generous, for heaven’s sake…but lay your heart and your feelings on the altar and allow Him to direct you to good ground. Even good ground can’t produce its best yield if you cram the seeds too closely together! Give your acts of kindness the best chance for a harvest by being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Instead of it just being said that you’d give someone the shirt off your back, let it be said that you heard from God and responded with the right thing at the right time!

“In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.” Proverbs 3:6 (AMP)

Prayer Against Metastatic Cancer

I feel strongly impressed this morning to pray for those suffering with cancer. The Lord is moving me to pray specifically against metastatic cancer in any form. Nothing strikes fear in the heart of someone already afflicted with this dreadful disease like the word “metastasize.” You may ask, “well, why not just pray against cancer, period?” I can’t answer that question! I keep seeing little fragments floating around in the bloodstream when I pray, and I believe the Lord means for me to pray specifically against cancer which spreads and infects the whole body. Would you bless someone suffering with this disease by sharing this prayer with him or her? Please join with me in declaring health and healing over yourself or a loved one:

“Heavenly Father, we come before You today in the strong, all-powerful name of Jesus on behalf of those whom the enemy would afflict not once, but multiple times through cancer which grows and spreads to other organs and body parts. Father, we declare in agreement that cancer is an intruder not welcome in the body of Your children. For those who have already been diagnosed with cancer, we speak Your Word over that mass and contain it now in the Jesus’ name. We surround that diseased tissue with the sinless blood of Jesus, in which there is no death element. Disease cannot pass that sacred blood barrier. We speak to antibodies and white blood cells to attack and destroy whatever is not native to this body which was created in perfection by God Himself. We declare that cancer CANNOT hide, hibernate, or disguise itself from the blood of Jesus! We speak to our blood and command it to become an inhospitable environment where disease cannot remain. We command our blood to become alkaline to its original normal levels, rather than imbalanced and acidic, because God’s Word says that LIFE is in the blood! We declare that the very breath of God sends oxygen coursing through our bloodstream to nourish healthy cells. Our lymph nodes are not relay stations for cancer to bounce from place to place. We call to the abnormal cells in the body and say, “you must die and not multiply.” We speak a supernatural “Teflon” effect to manifest in the bones, blood, tissue, and organs which makes them impervious to metastasizing cells. Those cells have no choice but to die without finding a host to feed on. They cannot attach, they cannot feed, they cannot multiply, they cannot destroy. We activate by the words of our mouths YOUR WORD into our situation. Your Word is alive, and active, and sharper than a two-edged sword! Take Your two-edged sword deep inside of bodies, souls, and spirits; and, like a scalpel, do surgery to remove what has no right to contradict Your will for our lives! Pierce through what does not belong and root it out, we ask by the authority of Your Word! As we free Your Word to perform this operation, we release to You any attitudes, fears, unforgiveness, or unbelief which might be lurking within us. We reject them now so that disease has no legal ground to operate in our bodies!

We make some Scriptural declarations now and apply them to this situation: Proverbs 26:2 says that the curse without cause shall not come. We bind any activities set in motion through idle, undeserved, or maliciously delivered words in Jesus’ name. Jesus delivered us from the curse of the law according to Galatians 3:13. He became the cursed so that we might be freed from it. The law of the spirit of life IN HIM therefore frees us from the law of sin and death. (Rom 8:2) We, as children of the Most High, rest in the shadow of His wings. Any attack against us to vex Him will be dealt with by His strong and mighty right hand, because when the enemy attacks God’s children, it is an indirect attack against God Himself! Our Father is a protective and nurturing Father and He will defend us! We claim Nahum 1:9-10 over ourselves, and say that, though the enemy may have stricken once, he gets no further opportunity to afflict a second time. We know that unless we stake a claim with the Word of God, the enemy can run rampant…BUT WE HAVE JUST CALLED HIS HAND! We file a grievance against Satan and his minions now. We declare that GOD’S WORD says that Satan’s devices against us are like tangled thorns, a drunk consumed by his drink, and stubble completely withered. Satan’s devices have no hope of a successful end because we are ENFORCING what God’s Word has already declared on our behalf!

Thank You, Father, not because the demons are subject to us, but because our names are written in Your Book of Life! Yes, LIFE! Thank You, our shield and protector, our Jehovah Rapha Who heals us. Thank You that You have empowered us to call a halt to rogue activity in our bodies. We treat these temples of the Holy Spirit with respect and we steward our gift of health. As You reveal what we need to do to care better for our bodies, we WILL obey Your revelations! We receive Your healing now, and we thank You for withering, tangling, incapacitating, and killing out any disease (known or unbeknownst to us) which may try to afflict Your children. In Jesus’ name, we deactivate cancer’s power to grow and spread. Amen and Amen!”

Catching the Spirit of Prayer

You may not imagine yourself as a great person of prayer. I never did…but prayer just wouldn’t turn loose of me. My heritage of prayer came from my Granny Gladys. She would rise up every morning, way before daylight, and go into the bathroom to pray. The side of the bathtub was her altar. She had an old worn piece of notebook paper tucked into her Bible, which had names on it. Some of the names had long since faded…cried on, anointed with oil. Names were written up and down the sides, on the back, as many as she could cram onto that piece of paper. I can still see her hands…large joints from arthritis and years of hard work, folding that smudged piece of paper and putting it back away for another day. I admired her, knew what she was doing was absolutely right…but I never imagined myself being “her.” I was a free-spirit…the “don’t-hem-me-in” type; and that’s what I thought a devoted prayer life might do to me. I wanted to be on the move!

For me, however, the journey began as a sudden, growing fascination with prayer. I didn’t necessarily pray more at that point, but I couldn’t shake the interest in it as a subject. I began reading about it. I began listening to teachings on it. As I gained an understanding of what prayer really is, and of the powerful exchange which takes place in our intimate time with our Heavenly Father, I began to crave that deeper relationship. It was that craving for what praying people have with God which motivated me to go there.

Much of what I write about in my daily postings and in my blog is prayer. The reason why I talk about it to all of you so much is this: I want others to know what wonderful things are available to the person who draws close to our Father. It’s not a doom-and-gloom, all-serious, no joy, no laughter kind of thing. Not at all. At times, yes, we intercede with great urgency and solemn tone for situations; but real prayer, done daily, brings great peace and joy. It’s not beyond the possibility that you will find occasion to laugh as you share with God. His peace bubbles over in every area of my life. I love laughter, playfulness, humor, happy exchange. I can have that, because the burdens are dealt with in their right place–a private conversation with the One Who has an ability to do something about them. And interestingly, some of the greatest intercessors I know are the free-spirit, love to laugh people. They’re not walking around long-faced, in sackcloth and ashes. I shouldn’t be surprised. My Granny, who dealt with any number of difficulties in her life, always had a smile and a quick wit. You could go to her, thinking you might give her a word of encouragement, and walk way being the one encouraged.

I might add this: the spirit of prayer does fit us all, but it will look different on you than it does on me. My prayer life isn’t exactly like my grandmother’s. The time of day, where I do it, what’s being said, it’s all unique to the person God created me to be. Free-spirit that I still am, it’s more of an ongoing conversation with Him that begins first thing in the morning (and usually not at 5 AM like Granny!) and carries on throughout the day. There’s not an ending amen; instead, for me, it’s more like a “to be continued.” You may be very structured, though; same time, same place, same format may be how you are wired to pray. I say that all to say, don’t look at someone else’s prayer life and despair that yours doesn’t resemble his or hers. It won’t be the same. God wants our heart; and HOW we arrive in the place of prayer isn’t so important as THAT we arrive in the place of prayer. If you’ll simply get used to talking to Him every day, in good times and bad, you won’t associate the prayer closet with misery, weeping, wailing, and dread—where you only go when something is terribly wrong. Prayer is interaction. You’ll talk to Him, yes…but if you’ll hang out with Him and just be still, He will talk to YOU. How’s that? Sometimes prayer is even sitting in silence as you wait for Him!

Don’t be afraid to talk to Him. Don’t fear that a prayer life will smother you and be cumbersome. Don’t fear that becoming a person of prayer will overwhelm you with other people’s problems. You are just a messenger! Take the needs to Your Father…and let Him solve them. You don’t have to fix people’s problems or be able to give them advice. Just be willing to carry them to the Lord. He’ll fix them…and you’ll find yourself longing to talk to Him, not dreading it like some household chore! It’s a gift, and yes, YOU can become a person of prayer!

Eight-Ball Prayers

When I was a little kid, one of the toys which I had (probably a hand-me-down from my cousins, or something that really belonged to Karen or Lee but seemed like it was mine) was an “Eight Ball.” It was this black ball about the size of a grapefruit or bigger, filled with liquid and a die with several sides. The little die would float to the window, and its various sides would have random answers on them—sort of like the one or two-word expressions printed on those crunchy little candy Valentine hearts. So the amusement was to ask a question, shake the ball, and wait for the “answer” to appear in the window. We used to make up silly questions, like, “Will I marry such and such?” and just peal with laughter at the answers.

How often do we go to our Heavenly Father in prayer, asking for something with a preconceived notion of what we want the answer to be? At times, we even “shake the eight ball up,” hoping He’ll give us a different answer from the one we didn’t want. That works with the toy, but it doesn’t work with God.

We see various examples of people in the Bible who asked God for something multiple times, for various reasons. Gideon, a young Manasseh tribesman, placed a fleece before God. He requested a different sign each time, to confirm whether the Lord was truly calling him to be the one to break the stranglehold of idolatry off the Israelites. Paul, wanting to be free of some mystery “thorn in the flesh” malady, repeatedly asked God to remove the thorn, only to get an answer, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” David inquired of the Lord whether he and his men should go to Keilah to fight the Philistines, to which God answered, “Go…I will help you conquer them.” But because the men said they were afraid, David asked a second time; and the answer was still the same. And the result was the same as God had promised!

We all have our reasons for asking again. Perhaps, like Gideon and David, we just don’t want to act in haste. It can be a scary thing to think we’ve missed God. Or like Paul, we may feel frustrated when we keep praying for healing or change, and the problem will not budge. Or, we can even be like an Abraham who, in intercession for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, asked for the Lord’s mercy for the sake of any righteous people living there. And though Abraham kept narrowing down the number of righteous, he was not able to save the cities. God, however, did honor Abraham’s prayers, not by sparing the cities, but by having angels lead Lot and his family out of danger.

You may be in a situation today where you are coming to God with your request again, not because He has failed to answer your previous prayers, but because you are hoping for a different response. It’s not wrong to ask…in fact, we can develop great faith as we travail in prayer and have to endure a season of waiting. It is important, however, to note that God will only answer according to His Word. And, He answers according to our faith. We cannot ask Him for an answer which violates His Word, and expect Him to change what is written. That’s one reason why it’s so important to know what His Word says, and pray that Word back to Him!

John says it like this, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (I John 5:14-15 NIV) There are different types of requests, of course: times when we need the Lord to direct our steps in a certain matter; or times when we see someone careening toward destruction and we pray for God to stay the hand of death so that he or she will not die in a lost state. Keep praying! Keep asking! If the Lord delays an answer, keep your confession of faith. He operates on a timetable that is totally unlike ours. Like the unjust judge who finally grants the widow’s petition, and the sleepy neighbor who finally gets up and answers the man’s request for bread to serve an unexpected guest, the recipient of the blessing is rewarded for shameless persistence. God usually doesn’t drop a movie screen down out of heaven and give us a step-by-step preview of how He’s going to resolve our problems, but we can be sure that if we pray according to His will, He’s got us covered. Ask Him! If it’s a matter of directions, He’ll give them to you. If it’s a matter of wait and trust, that’s what we must learn to do—and above that—to obey! Don’t rush Him, don’t try to help Him work it out YOUR way, just give it to Him and turn loose of the control wheel.

In a situation where God’s answer is something other than what you’re seeking, know this: He is continually working toward the eventual good of His children. There was a reason why He required Paul to trust Him for grace rather than delivering him of the “thorn.” Perhaps Paul could have become exalted or haughty had he not had to rely on God’s continual help…or perhaps the “thorn” helped him to empathize with those who struggle. We don’t know. Still, Paul went on to write a sizeable chunk of the New Testament books, even with the condition that plagued him! God may have you situated right in the eye of the hurricane…not because He’s cruel or doesn’t love you, but because you are there to help someone else come to know Him. There are many countless people won to the Lord by the witness of someone experiencing the same difficulties as they are, but with hope and a testimony.

Learn to differentiate between requests which would be answered through a Rhema word, and those requests which can rely solely on what’s already written. Perhaps you need a “stop, go, wait, turn this way or that way,” kind of answer. He’s pleased when we involve Him in the decision-making of our every day lives; and believe me when I say, if you listen, He will speak! However, sometimes we don’t have to receive a word because we already have HIS Word…written down. A true Rhema will never contradict what God’s written Word has spoken. And, if God’s answer is “no,” honor His final say in the matter. Sometimes what we’re asking for has hidden repercussions…and God knows that! I must confess, there have been times when I didn’t ask His will because I wanted something that, deep down in my heart, I already knew He did not want for me. If we would but learn to trust Him and not lean to our own understanding (and our own foolish pursuits!)…

Lay down your Eight Ball today and just go to the Word for your answers. If your situation requires a messenger, the Lord will place a mature believer in your path to deliver it. Don’t gather an assembly of your peers to “agree” over something which He’s already said no to. If the rightly-divided Word of God, taken in context, says a particular thing about what you’re seeking, you cannot shake it up and get a different answer. Take God’s answer in faith that He has a much greater plan…one that always involves eternity and not just where you are today! He loves you, and there’s nothing random or chance about His plan!

The Spirit’s Eye

“No one has ever seen this, and no one has ever heard about it. No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. But God has shown us these things through the Spirit.” (I Cor. 2:9-10 NCV)

Years ago, my now brother-in-law Tommy had a poster on his office wall that, at first glance, just appeared to be a nice purple-and-blue pattern. I thought it was pretty but really didn’t see anything outstanding there. Eventually one day, I heard some of the others talking about the picture-inside-the-picture…and I was intrigued enough to press in closer. I saw nothing. It was one of those times where you wonder, “Should I be like the people in the Emperor’s New Clothes story, and pretend I see what isn’t there…or do I just admit that I don’t get it?”

Well, I ‘fessed up…I really didn’t get it. So Tommy said, “You’re trying too hard. You have to just relax and let your vision blur a little. When you stop trying to SEE it, you’ll see it!” And he was right. After a couple of tries, it was as if the hidden images materialized out of nowhere. Now, the theme of that particular poster turned out to be Star Trek…but after I discovered the whole “Mind’s Eye” picture series, I just became an instant fan. I sought out other similar pictures to peer into and enjoy.

As believers in Christ, many (probably most) of us breeze, at least in our fledgling years, right past situations that appear one way but have hidden spiritual undertones. It’s not a sin to be unable to read those signs; yet, we can miss some really important, even critical, messages God is trying to show us in the spirit realm. We can live a very superficial Christian life, saved as can be, but still not have a depth of understanding that will mature us and make our walk effective.

Now, to become spiritually-minded, we don’t have to become hermits, shave our heads, or adopt bizarre behaviors! However, our affections and appetites change as we draw closer to God. As we begin to savor the deep things in the Word, and as we spend time in prayer and just fellowship with our Father, a side to us is opened up which we didn’t know we had. Carnal mindsets start dying off, and we begin to understand a greater scope of what’s going on around us.

I’ll give you a little example, because becoming spiritually-minded has been and is an ongoing process with me, too. At one time, I might have looked at face values of situations which need changing, and might have only seen the visible problem instead of the hidden cause of it. The Lord has enabled me, over time, to become aware of the “picture-within-the-picture.” Rather than just seeing a geographical area full of drug-addicted people, and shaking my head at the astounding statistics, now I realize that there are territorial strongholds which exist on a different plane: addictive spirits which acquire dominance in a particular place…strongholds which can only be broken through prayer, through fasting, and through persistence. The problems we “see” in the natural realm are pretty much just the results, and not heart of those problems at all! So when we try to attack that growth from the stem up, it keeps coming back. We cannot do war against a spiritual entity by fighting against flesh and blood opponents! Try to rid your lawn of the clover and dandelions by mowing, and see how long they stay gone!

Now, there will always be a need for support groups,positive changes in the natural, etc., but until we see beyond the visible to the root of the problem, and begin to conduct warfare on the root-end of the situation, we will be at best just maintaining. We can clean out corruption by calling in the authorities, but unless there is spiritual deliverance—unless ground is taken by righteousness where once was wickedness—we will see different faces but the same problem, stemming from that original root.

There is a bit of a price to pay for becoming spiritually-minded. It comes right back around to time spent in God’s presence. You cannot think like God thinks if you aren’t willing to hang out with Him and let the mind of Christ rub off on you! Having His mind won’t make you weird, cultic, eccentric, or “out there;” although, folks may just not get you when you make observations from a perspective they can’t see. Being occasionally misunderstood is a very small investment, when going deeper into your relationship with God empowers you to pray and to see in a much greater way than before.

God doesn’t give us this ability just so we can feel “enlightened” above other people. No, that’s where we could dance a fine line of hypocrisy. It doesn’t make us superior to the average believer, so there’s absolutely no room to gloat in one’s spirituality. God gives us that deeper vision so that we can see as He sees–to respond as He responds, and so that we will be proactive to promote His righteous will on earth. To merely SEE on a deeper level would only drive us to despair, without God’s Word and without His instructions on what we are to do with the revelation He’s given us. Remember, the devil has his own counterfeit spirituality too, and some may confuse being psychic with the kind of spiritual sight I’m talking about. When Satan approached Eve in the garden, he said that God didn’t want them to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil because God didn’t want their eyes to be opened to see what He sees. Why, that made the fruit even more delectable…to think, that she could become privy to something God was concealing from her; something with which she might then have a right to disagree! Therein lies the difference. When God reveals a matter to us, it’s to bring us into alignment with His will—not to consume our knowledge on our own greed, or form our own carnal opinions about it. Satan’s intent behind luring people into pseudo-spirituality is to cause them to think independently of God’s will. Eve managed to be duped into thinking that God was keeping her from something good. What she, and so many others have failed to understand over the years (to their destruction), is that outside of God’s will, nothing good exists in the first place.

With more understanding comes more responsibility. God doesn’t grant you the gift of discernment, for instance, so that you can peek into other people’s secret faults and frailties and use those weaknesses to harm them. It’s not given with the purpose of advancing you AT ALL. As a matter of fact, a person with special discernment may very well have to gird himself/herself up in the area of having judgmental tendencies. A person of discernment must also learn to be silent about what God does not choose to reveal to others. We must NOT reveal what God has confided in us, and certainly not with the motive of making ourselves look more spiritual to other people! There’s absolutely no room for a gossiping spirit or a manipulative spirit in the life of a Believer who walks on this level. Conversely, as our awareness of spirit realm is heightened, we must choose to become more humble, more consecrated, more surrendered to God. Our carnal nature, if not put under submission, will only make a mess out of what God’s wanting to give us for His good purposes. We cannot afford to try to use our gifts outside the realm of His Word and His will. We are called to prayer, and on one’s knees is the best place to remain when humility is paramount. Trust me…if you walk closely to God, there may be times when you discern things about other people which are going to disturb you, grieve you. You may enter places and sense the presence of a particular controlling spirit. Without holiness in your life, there are things you can’t bear! With holiness and a totally submitted-to-God’s-authority frame of mind, you’ll not only be able to bear these things, you can pray the prayer of faith against the influence of the enemy in the lives of people and over localities. We are not given the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound, calm, well-balanced mind! Any time God reveals hidden things to you, it’s always either with yours or someone else’s protection in mind, or for you to know what type of prayer must be prayed to bring situations in line with His Kingdom and His will. And it’s not always about identifying the negative! God can use our sensitivity to His Spirit to reveal good, wholesome, encouraging, holy truths. Just as important as not walking through wrong doors is the discernment to walk through the right ones!

God will even test us early on to prove whether we are trustworthy to walk on another plane. He may instruct us to speak out over something we don’t want to address; or He may order us to keep silent about a matter even though we feel we have the “low down” on the situation. In these times, it may be very tempting to try to make ourselves look good in front of others. If we disobey His instructions, we disqualify ourselves from certain realms of spiritual authority. Just as you love some people you wouldn’t trust for a minute, God loves us even when He can’t trust us…but He’d rather be able to trust us! He wants to love you, to bless you, to promote you to do great and mighty things, but much of that depends on your obedience factor. Remember, no matter what kind of pretty pattern we display on the outside, God uniquely sees beyond the window dressing and straight into our hearts. May He be pleased with what He sees…

Pray with me today: “Heavenly Father, I desire to be closer to You, and to want those things which You desire. I have some carnal affections I’m already aware of, and some I may not be aware of. Prune me of those tendencies toward unrighteousness. Mature me in the things of God! Help me to have healthy appetites and goals, and help me to have a pure heart with right motives. There is another level I’ve not attained in my walk with You, and that level is where You will for me to come up to. You created me for purpose, and oh, how I want to fulfill Your will in my life. I want to be a vessel You can TRUST. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit; baptize me through and through, and give me power for service. Help me not to see the world around me through the eyes of the flesh. If I walk after the flesh, I’ll only fulfill the works of the flesh. I ask You to enable me to walk after the Spirit! When I’m confronted with the sin and the despair around me, help me to see through Your eyes. Help me see people, even the most difficult ones, through Your eyes. Prompt me to pray and to intercede for the lost, for the bound, and for the hopeless. I want to be transformed today. Help me renew my mind to Your Word, and help me to bear You much good fruit in this lifetime You’ve appointed me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Quietly Comes Our Rescuer

The Lord said to Elijah, “Go, stand in front of me on the mountain, and I will pass by you.” Then a very strong wind blew until it caused the mountains to fall apart and large rocks to break in front of the Lord . But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire, there was a quiet, gentle sound. 1 Kings 17:11-12 NCV

I wonder how often when, faced with difficult situations, we imagine that God’s method of coming against our circumstances will be to “outdo” the noise of the enemy’s onslaught? Do we have expectations of Him suddenly becoming loud, boisterous, angry, violent, ostentatious as He rises to our rescue? What if we were to miss His visitation by overlooking the quiet, gentle sound that follows all the hoopla?

This particular passage of Scripture is intriguing to me, within and outside of its context. Elijah had hit a spiritual crisis after his Mount Carmel moment. The prophet who’d called down fire from heaven was now running scared from a wicked ruler who vowed to kill him. In his despair, Elijah perceived himself to be the “only one left,” and he expressed his feelings of frustration and utter aloneness to God. God revealed to him Who He is, by revealing to Elijah what He isn’t!

Now, God’s ways are so above our own, I don’t presume to know why He decided to appear to Elijah thus. We know that in some other Bible stories, the Lord did appear in a loud and frightening fashion; and yet, this particular time, His quietness was a stark contrast to the roar of what preceded Him.

All that we ever need to place our trust in is His sheer faithfulness. What He has promised in His Word, He will bring to pass. If we try to predict or even manipulate His method of coming to our rescue, we will go chasing every wild and sensational “noise” around us. How many people out there simply cannot bear not to be in the loop…and they step beyond the boundaries God has set. We see scores of people nowadays flocking to mediums and psychics to give them a “when” and a “how;” and practices which are despicable to a holy God are increasingly gaining popularity on television. Those who seek rogue answers to what He has not yet chosen to reveal operate in the polar opposite of faith: fear. Fear can drive one to the point of rebellion against the only One Who can truly help. We can never sidestep our Creator and get a good result! Knowing our fascination with appearances, the enemy is more than willing to send his deceptions to us in the big, bold, underscored—and most of all, instantaneous— “signs” that we seek. Oh, how we need to clear our heads of our expectations and just WAIT ON THE LORD.

Our Father has granted access, through His Son, for us to approach His throne boldly in our time of need! Even when our feelings are carnal, fearful, flawed, doubtful, or angry, He allows us to pour our hearts out to Him. As we invite Him into our every day lives, and develop relationship with Him through daily interaction, we also establish the deep mutual trust that enables us to communicate honestly with God. It is that regular communication that enlightens us to His nature. That regular communication also teaches us to know that God doesn’t react. He responds. He responds to FAITH.

Don’t forfeit your miracle because it appears to be too simple to be from the Lord! God doesn’t have to prove Himself bigger than our problems, stronger than our enemy. He doesn’t fight noise with more noise. When you are in a bad situation, and the chaos is deafening, you may surmise that He will show up in a big booming voice and command the storm to be still. That’s not the way He does it! When we read of Jesus calming the storm, it doesn’t say that He screamed out, “Peace, be still!” He spoke it. There was no alarm in His voice, no argumentative tone. It wasn’t the WAY He said it; rather, it was WHO said it.

You may be in dire straits today, heart pounding from anxiety. You may be looking at a clock or calendar, a financial statement or a medical report which demands something you can’t give. Your child may have gotten into some trouble that can’t be negotiated away. You may love someone who has fallen into addiction’s cruel trap, and it may make you feel powerless to help. You may even feel like crying out, “God, where ARE You?!!” Stop where you are. Take a deep breath. If tears need to fall, let them fall. He is touched by the feeling of your infirmities! Hebrews 4:15 Says it like this: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” The word for infirmities in the Greek is astheneiais…and it encompasses more than mere physical impairment. It is defined as feebleness (of mind or body); by implication, malady; morally, frailty — disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness. Whatever area of your mind or body contains a frailty, He has it covered because He’s been there, done that! Because Jesus survived the experience without failing His Father, you too have hope. Think of Mary, who, after lamenting her brother Lazarus’ untimely death and Jesus’ absence, counters her emotional outburst with profound faith: “I know, Lord, that EVEN NOW, even after it’s too late in the natural to reverse what has happened, You can raise him from the dead!”

Pray with me: “Heavenly Father, You know all things already, so I stand before you without pretense. You see my dilemma. (Go ahead, be specific with the Lord now about what’s troubling you.) Your Word tells me that You are all-knowing. You also know that when the tempter attacks me in weak areas, the struggle to remain strong is more difficult. I roll my works over onto You now. I surrender my desire to fix what’s wrong by my own might…I already know it’s beyond my ability, but I also surrender that “need” to be in control. No man can pluck out of Your hand what’s been committed to Your care, so I cast my cares in this situation upon You now. I receive Your help. I allow You to lift my shoulder from the burden! I allow You to do what You know needs to be done in order to make right what is wrong. Whatever You require of me, I determine to be obedient. If You say that I must change something about myself, my habits, my associations, my affections, I surrender those to You as well. If You should will to change ME instead of overtly changing my situation, then I ask for Your grace to embrace change, knowing that all things work together for good if I love You and am called according to Your purpose. Thank You for hearing me. Thank You for even those times when You answer in a quiet, unheralded way. Your answer may not be noisy and big and grandiose…but I eagerly await the “Peace, be still,” if You should choose to merely whisper the remedy and bring it to pass! I commit to wait upon You, to trust and to faint not. Whatever You choose to do, please take Your liberty now, in Jesus’ name.”

Worth Its “Wait” in Gold

Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete. (James 1:2-4 TLB)

One of my favorite treats as a kid was a pot pie. Mom didn’t buy them very often, but I thought they were among the most wonderful things in the world. These weren’t the microwave, done-in-60- seconds hockey pucks in today’s grocery freezer section…and, back then they still came standard with a bottom crust, too. Lots of things were of higher quality before companies decided that they could make more money by giving you less. The wait was sweet agony.

Now that I’m well into my adult years, I make my own everything; so I can’t tell you how the 21^st Century pot pie is prepared. Back then, you took a rock solid frozen single-serving pie, punched a few vent holes in the top, put it on a pizza tin, and popped into the oven for probably 45 minutes or so. In my case the 45 minutes probably stretched out to nearer an hour, because I would keep opening the oven door to see how far along the baking had progressed.

Pot pies had a double-indemnity wait clause. First, you had to wait for them to bake all the way through; and then you had to wait again, that much longer, for them to cool off just to be able to eat them. Those of us who had patience for neither would wind up with soggy pie and a burned tongue. Yes, I burned my tongue almost every single time Mom made them.

We are so conditioned, in every aspect of life, to disdain the wait. A letter is an antiquated thing now that we have instant messaging. We order some worthless gadget on the shopping channel, we pay extra so that we don’t have to WAIT. We go into ridiculous debt for things we can’t afford, because laying something away until it’s paid for, why, we’re too good for that! Gotta have it all right now.

Waiting is an art in the spiritual realm, as well; and one that, if you’re like me, is an ongoing process to develop. There is relationship built with God as we wait. There is maturity and strength gained in the struggle that we won’t acquire if we have a microwave mentality. In the pause before the answer to prayer comes to pass, we get to study and observe His process. As we obediently step away from the controls, we come to appreciate His meticulous knack for do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. Quality is yet another reward for learning to wait…because there’s no such thing as rushed perfection.

I once had a coworker who could find a good meal in the most surprising places. His advice to me was this: when you go into a new town, talk to the locals. Ask them where the best place to eat is, and when they offer the usual “tourist dives,” you tell them, “No, not where you send the tourists. Where do YOU go when you want a good meal?” Sometimes those secret gathering places were little hole-in-the-wall basement establishments. Routinely, he would go in, sit down, and instead of taking a menu, asked the cook to surprise him. There’s something about asking a chef to do what he or she does best—create! It’s a welcome, refreshing, thrilling opportunity: to receive a request without restrictions, without picky substitutions, or conditions about how the customer wants the finished product to appear. Because he considered dining to be an event rather than a means to an end, he didn’t care to wait a little longer. The meals, according to him, were almost always something off-the-grid, because he dared trust the one doing the cooking to his or her best judgment.

What huge thing are you asking God to do today, if at all? If you’re not asking for something big, I challenge you to ask Him for what “can’t be done.” Ask Him to change the very person whom everyone around you says cannot or will not ever change. Ask Him for something that brings Him glory, and surrender the how, when, and where to HIM. Give Him an opportunity to roll up His sleeves and reveal what He is REALLY capable of. Ask Him to do great exploits, and don’t set up conditions or a deadline for Him to have to adhere to. We’re so shallow in our asking…we order straight off the menu, asking for the small things which require little if any faith. God wants His children to boldly approach His throne, to ask Him to accomplish what HE wants in the earth. After the asking, He wants us to wait. Oh, He hasn’t lost our request in the shuffle. He hasn’t forgotten or disregarded our prayers as unimportant. He’s just waiting for the time He knows is best to bring it all to pass.

Make your petitions known to your caring Father today. Don’t settle for a watery, freeze-dried, or second-rate blessing just so you can have it sooner. Don’t get burned by trying to take what He’s promised before it has had time to cool down to the perfect moment. There is blessing in the wait. If you can allow Him to bring you His best in His time, it will be so worth the discipline. Right place, right time? Better than the best pot pie you ever ate!