Prayer

 "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Matthew 21:22

I read an article this week about Seven Ways to Keep Your Home Strong. Of course, it didn't surprise me to see what was #1: PRAYER ~ A family that prays together stays together! The Lord blessed me with Godly parents who taught me and my sisters how to pray. One of my most treasured memories as a child was when my parents prayed with me and my sisters. Today, I am very grateful to be married to a Godly husband who encourages his family to do the same. One of our favorite times with our kids is praying with them. Together, we pray before meals, together we pray with them every night before they go to bed; praying with them, for them and for us as a family. But we wanted them to establish a place and set aside a specific time, preferably in the morning, to specifically pray for the special people in their life.

This is a picture of our friends from Oklahoma... We have adopted them into our family!

My husband has encouraged them to begin with scripture, journal and then pray. The kids kept notes in their prayer journal but I felt like they, especially my youngest,  needed something  tangible for their personal  prayer time.  Thanks to pinterest, I was inspired to make photo prayer cards. So this week each of the kids have personalized their very own .

Carson Newman Mens Soccer Team

 

They have chosen different people to pray for. For example, Michaelah sets aside a certain day each week to pray for the Carson Newman Men Soccer Team, her youth leaders, her friends and soccer coaches and teammates. James and Katie have also personalized their cards with special friends, our pastor, missionaries and family members. Each of them will also pray for our country and its leaders. We laminated them so they will be able to journal requests, and answered prayers behind each card.  How awesome it will be for them to look at their prayer cards and journals years from now and read how God has answered their prayers and how He is continuing to bless them.  
 

There are times when our home gets pretty crazy and sometimes it's a bit messy but I pray that our home will always be a dwelling place for the Lord.

Mom and Dad... "Papa and Grandma"

Praise You in This Storm

Psalms 32:7-9

You are my hiding place from every storm of life; You even keep me from getting into trouble! You surround me with songs of victory. 
I will instruct you (says the Lord) and guide you along the best pathway for your life; 
I will advise you and watch your progress.

I love when God speaks to me through scripture. This morning I am praising the Lord for His unconditional love and His presence in my life. I am thankful that he is guiding, leading and instructing me as I walk through this crazy thing called life. I know that trials are all part of the journey but it seems like just when I am on the mountaintop, Satan creeps in and tries to use circumstances to steal my joy and weigh my spirit down. But one of the most wonderful things I have come to experience as a child of God is knowing that, through the storm, all I have to do is be still and He will fight for me ~ Exodus 14:14 "The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent."  Keep silent? Now how difficult is that?  This morning I am reminded that as a child of God there is no need to worry or fret because I am safely held in the palm of my Master's hand. I am reminded of a song by Bill Harvey, a good old friend of mine who is now with the Lord - (I can't wait to see Him in heaven). He wrote this song: Fret not, He’s watching over you. Fret not; the Lord will see you through. Fret not; you’re sure to stand the test. Commit and trust – delight and rest.”  Wow, the Lord WILL see you through and you're sure to stand the test! Whether it be a fear, or a burden, or a worry, or a care.. whether it be one of those things about the past that we can't change.. whether it be one of those untrue criticisms by others...whether it be a concern about a health issue ... whether it be a real problem or an imagined problem.. FRET NOT!! Just commit, trust, delight and rest - Psalm 37.  The truth is, I serve a God who remains the same even when the storms rage. Sometimes God calms the storm and sometimes He lets it rage and calms His child. I believe trials come our way so that we can learn wisdom, become stronger, and experience true joy. There will come a day when the storm will be just a memory and a remembrance of how God was faithful to bring you through it. He is the Author and Finisher of all life.... there is nothing out of His control...  Let not your heart be troubled for God is with you and the love of God will never fail you - Praise the Lord! I am so thankful to be a child of His. I am thankful that I can smile today because HE is my hiding place from every storm in life and because of that I can praise HIM in this storm.

Psalm 107:28-30 

"Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven."

Healing is in your hands...

A year ago this week, the doctors told me that I had renal cell carcinoma.. My specialist was 90% sure it was cancer so no biopsy was ordered. Because of the location and size of the mass a nephrectomy had to be done. It was in those moments of complete brokenness and pain that I experienced the presence of God like never before. In Psalm 34:18 the Lord he is near to the brokenhearted. This verse became so real in my life. The Lord used so many people to encourage me. I have a shoe box full of prayer cards and it is so awesome to sit back and read them today. I can't even describe how it felt to have so many people praying for me. During this time, I was most thankful for my husband. He was my biggest source of comfort and encouragement. He was the one who saw me at my worst. It was his shoulder I would cry on and even though he was probably just as worried as I was, he was always there to encourage me and remind me that God's got this!  He always seemed to turn my tears to laughter ~ I know, not a surprise right? After each test we were always told the same thing: cancer. The Lord blessed us with a wonderful christian doctor. After the surgery he told us he had never seen anything like it and we would have to wait for the full pathology report. I remember thinking, is that good or bad? After weeks of recovery we went back to the doctor for the results. Our doctor walked into the room, sat down and looked at us and said with a smile: "You are going to be okay..you are going see your kids grow up.. It was not cancer." They could not find a single cancer cell in this mass! He had seen hundreds of cases like mine and all tests pointed to cancer BUT our God had performed a miracle. Our family experienced the touch of the Master's Hand, the touch from the Great Physician. The most amazing thing was knowing that my children were able to experience the power of prayer. This journey totally changed our outlook on prayer. There is nothing too little or too big for God. Prayer allows us to speak directly to Him and He not only listens but he responds. We are a family who has not only experienced the grace and provision of Christ's love but we have been touched by God in a miraculous way. We are excited to see what the Lord has in store for our family as we continue our journey marked by His GRACE... because His Grace IS sufficient! His grace is never inadequate, nor is it ever depleted. It never spoils and it has no expiration date. So Awesome!!