Believe!

As I was sitting in a conference this weekend listening to the speaker, I heard the voice of the Lord speak to me. Out of the blue, He reminded me of a prayer that I had been praying starting about eight years ago. It was a prayer that I prayed in desperation almost everyday for probably about 3 years. At that point, I began to pray this prayer less and less and because of circumstances, I stopped believing that it would ever be answered. I had not thought of this prayer in a long time.

As the Lord reminded me of this prayer, He reassured me that my answered prayer is coming soon. Wow! It blessed me so much to think that even though I had given up on praying the prayer, the Lord had remembered. God is faithful! This made me think of one of my favorite passages of scripture in Romans 4:18-21. These verses tell the story of Abraham's faith when He was promised a son by the Lord. Verse 19 says, "Without weakening in faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead- since he was about 100 years old- and that Sarah's womb was also dead." I find this very amusing. Doesn't it make make you laugh when you read "the fact that his body was as good as dead." I am not even halfway to 100 and I can see the humor in this. I can imagine Abraham looking at himself and saying, "Alright God, if you say so." Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old. Naturally, it was impossible for Abraham and Sarah to have a child. But this did not stop Abraham from believing because he was not trusting in his own ability.

In Hebrews 11:1, faith is defined as "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." When we have faith, we stop looking at the circumstances and trusting in them and we start looking at God and trusting in Him. In verse 18 of the Romans passage it says "Against all hope, Abraham by hope believed..." Even when things look hopeless, we can have hope with God. Faith does not make sense when we look at the situation with our own eyes. But when we put our trust in God who is Almighty and in whom nothing is impossible, we rise above the circumstances of this world and we BELIEVE. I love that in God's kingdom even when the odds are stacked against us, we can have the victory!!!

God has taught me this weekend that it is not a good idea to give up when I am on the winning team. There was a reason that the Lord had me praying eight years ago and He was working even when I lost hope. Now I am waiting and praying again as I prepare to see the glory of the Lord. Maybe you have given up on a prayer. Maybe a circumstance in your life seems hopeless. I want to encourage you that you are on the winning team. Don't look at the circumstances! Don't trust in your own ability! and whatever you do, don't try to fix it!! Look at Jesus and cry out to Him!! And as you are waiting and praying, be like Abraham. Realize the hopelessness without God's help, maybe even laugh, but most of all BELIEVE!!

A Pebble In Your Shoe

I was talking with a friend today, and she started telling me about this person in her life who was disrespectful, bossy, and caused her much misery. Have you ever been around someone like that? For whatever reason, the person annoys you. Or maybe, the person deliberately is out to get you.

One of my all time favorite movies is EverAfter. It is a Cinderella story with a character named Danielle in the role of Cinderella. She has a wicked stepmother as do all Cinderellas. At one point in the movie, Danielle is pleading with her stepmother. Danielle wants to know if there was ever a time that her stepmother might have loved her. The stepmother replies with a very cruel statement, "How can I love a pebble in my shoe?"

Although this statement is cruel toward the character in the movie, I have thought of this phrase often as I have encountered people. I use it as a litmus test. I recognize when someone has become a "pebble in my shoe" because I can't stop thinking about them and not in a good way. I know you have had a pebble in your shoe. You might get it to move to the side for a moment, but you will feel it again soon. Eventually, you have to take your shoe off and take it out or it will drive you crazy.

Over the years of my life, people have judged me, hurt me, abused me, laughed at me, mistreated me, annoyed me and so on. God has shown me a way to deal with these people that has worked in each case.

The answer is prayer. Pray for them. I have never encountered anyone in my past or present life that I have not been able to forgive and then even love and want the best for--through the power of prayer. Prayer helps me to see these people through the eyes of Jesus. Jesus gives me insight into their hurts and insecurities. He gives me His compassion for them. He helps me to overcome my natural inclination to hold something against them. He supernaturally removes them from my shoe!!

Jesus said in Luke 6:27-28 "But I say to you who hear: 'Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.'

Later in this passage, He says in verse 32, "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them."

I shared this with my friend not so that she could rely on God to change the person who was driving her crazy. I shared it with her so that my friend would be healthy. So that my friend would have nothing between her and Jesus. I shared it because this practice has never failed in my life. In moments when I have thought that it was impossible to forgive or love someone, God has shown me that "He will give me His strength when I am weak."

Take an inventory, right now. Is their anyone in your life who is a "pebble in your shoe?" If so, start to pray for them and pray for them every time you feel that pebble. I promise you, if you do this, you will see the supernatural power of God.

Touch 1 Life

Do you ever wonder how you can make a difference in a world so broken and full of need?  A group of us prayed in Flagstaff for over three years asking the Lord how we could make a difference for transformation in our city.  The answer that the Lord gave to us was "Touch 1 Life."  This is a movement of prayer that is taking place at churches throughout our city.  It can be done anywhere by anyone to cause a positive effect and transformation in any community.

As we prayed, God showed us three steps to follow as we Touch 1 Life:

ASK:  Ask God to show you someone in need.
This step is very important to our faith.  In Matthew 17:20 Jesus said, "... if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."

PRAY:  Pray for that person and his or her need.
When we pray for someone, it causes us to care for them and eventually to love them.  It is also a way of trusting God with their need and sets us up to see the the miraculous way God will answer our prayers.
In Matthew 7:8-Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened."

ACT:  Act on anything that God tells you to do for that person.
As we see God move in this process of prayer, our faith is built.  If God asks us to do anything beyond prayer for that person, he is giving us an opportunity to obey.  In John 14:15, Jesus said, "If you love Me, obey My commandments."  When Jesus tells us to do something, it is not a suggestion.  It is a command.

When I hear the Lord speak to me and ask me to do something, sometimes I jump at the chance to express my love toward Him.  Other times, I drag my feet and try to talk Him out of it, but eventually, I do what He says.  As I have obeyed more and more, I have understood His everlasting love for me.  This love relationship is so comforting and secure.  With this understanding, I have learned to live knowing that I have nothing to lose, because I have God's love and it is MORE than enough!!!

So, if you have ever wondered like I have wondered how you can make a difference and change this world that we live in:  "Touch 1 Life."  I bet some of you have already heard from the Lord and know who that person is who you are being called to pray for.  If not, close your eyes right now, and ASK:)

Ordinary Infused with the Supernatural

Often when I am studying the Scriptures, God teaches me with an example in my life.  I have always been a kinesthetic learner.  This means that I learn best by carrying out a physical activity or experiencing something rather than just reading or hearing it.  God created me and knows me so the Holy Spirit teaches me this way.

Recently, I had been studying a passage in Acts 12.  Peter was in prison awaiting a trial that could lead to his execution.  He was sleeping which I find remarkable considering his circumstances.  An angel came to him and struck him to wake him up.  Peter was chained to two guards.  The angel caused the chains to fall off of Peter, but then proceeded to tell Peter to get dressed and put on his sandals.   I thought to myself, why did the angel not just supernaturally dress Peter at the same time that he caused his chains to fall off?  So, the Lord answered by showing how He infuses His supernatural power into everyday living.

I was in Las Vegas visiting my in-laws.  Coincidentally, my sister was coming to Las Vegas also to campaign for a political party.  She could have been sent anywhere in the country but had been assigned to Las Vegas, so I started to see that the Lord was involved.  I felt that it was God's will for all of us to spend some time together, so I arranged to have dinner with my sister's family, my in-laws and my husband on that Wednesday evening.

When I woke up Wednesday morning, my sister called and let me know that she would not be to Vegas until Thursday morning.  Sadly, we were leaving on Wednesday after dinner.  My sister and her family were looking forward to a dinner with my in-laws. As I was taking my shower, I made up my mind to work out the details so that they could get together.  That is when the voice of God interrupted my thoughts.  He said, "Kim, stop spending so much time on details.  Start relying on My miracles."  I had known God was in this thing with my sister coming to Vegas so I asked the Lord, "How do I do that practically?"  He answered me by impressing on my heart, "Pray that your sister will knock on your in-laws door."  OK?  I knew that she would be knocking on doors but she did not know where my in-laws lived.  This would definitely take a miracle.  So, I started praying.

After my shower, I went out to breakfast and told my father-in-law that our dinner plans had been canceled due to a later flight.  He was disappointed but said with a laugh, "Maybe she will knock on my door and I can give her some lunch."  At that point, I knew God was doing something.  He was so sweet to encourage me in my prayer.

On Saturday morning, my sister called me.  She had knocked on my in-laws door!!  My miracle had happened!!  And my in-laws made their own arrangements to pick up my sister and her family the next day and take them to dinner.

I will never forget this lesson about God infusing the ordinary with the supernatural.  I did my part through prayer, my sister did hers by knocking on doors, my father-in-law did his part by answering his door, and God did His Huge Supernatural Miracle!  I love the way the Holy Spirit teaches me the Scriptures.  Not only is it a very memorable lesson, but it is so much fun!!

Hearing God's Voice

I was in the kitchen talking to my 7-year old grandson the other day.  He was telling me how famous he is going to be when he grows up.  Lately, he has been obsessed with fame.  So, I had been praying about an opportunity to talk to him about his purpose.

In the middle of our conversation, I told him that God had a very specific purpose for him.  I explained that if he listens to Jesus and does everything that he is told, he will have a spectacular life.  I also told him that people would recognize the supernatural power of God in him and that God would lead him to all the dreams that were in his heart.  He answered me with one question, "Grandma, how do I hear God?"  WOW!  This was more of an opportunity than I had prayed for.   In my opinion, this is the greatest question anyone can ask. When my grandson asked this question, he showed he has the faith to believe that he can hear God.   I also believe Hearing God's Voice is the greatest pursuit we can have while on this earth.

When I think about this topic, I always think about Matthew 17:5 which says "...suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Listen to Him!"  This verse started a quest in my life to master the art of hearing God's voice.  I figured that if God spoke out of a cloud (which does not happen very often in Scripture) and if He used an exclamation point (which does not happen often in Scripture either), I had better listen!  God tells us to listen to Jesus.  How do we do that?

First, in John 1:1, and 14 it explains that Jesus is the Word.  If we want to hear God's voice, the Word of God is written for us to know Him and to guide our life.  This is a great place to start.

It is also clear throughout the Scriptures that God speaks differently to different individuals.  He spoke to Moses in a burning bush, he spoke to Mary through an angel, and He spoke to many of the kings through the prophets, etc.  But it was clear to all of these individuals that God had spoken.  What we need to do is to spend time knowing God and recognize that because God speaks, we need to speak when we pray, but we also need to listen.  As time goes by, we will begin to recognize the voice of God.

Also, hearing God's voice requires patience.  Waiting is part of the hearing process.  It helps to understand that God's timing is perfect.  Ask Him a question and He will answer, but don't expect Him to answer according to your timeline.  Have the faith to believe that He will answer.   We can call the process of hearing God; "spiritual perception."  The more spiritual perception we have, the more we will be given (Mark 4:9).  If  our heart is filled with unbelief, even what we have will be taken away (Luke 8:18).  Think about it this way,  God wants us to hear Him.  He is all powerful.  The word "listen" is repeated in the Bible over 300 times and the word "hear" is also repeated over 300 times.  God is trying to speak to us.  We just need to have a willing heart.

God speaks often in my life.  Prayer is a dialogue rather that a monologue.  God is speaking to me constantly throughout the day; in my circumstances, through the things that people unknowingly say, through nature, through His Word, and in prayer with Him.  Over time, I recognize His voice just like I recognize my husband's voice when he calls me on the phone.  I have heard God's voice so often that I recognize it.

In this generation, where it feels like the future is so unknown and the things we took for granted ten years ago have been taken away, I was so excited to answer this question for my grandson.  I believe that if I can teach him to Hear God's Voice, I will be giving him something more precious than gold or anything else in this world.  There is nothing like the ability to recognize God's voice.  It is the only security that is TRULY security.  So, ask God a question.  And then LISTEN.  It will bring you the ultimate return on your investment!

Enjoy!

So, I got into the shower the other morning and was enjoying the warm water running over my head.  With my eyes closed, I was preparing to face the day.  When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see that my shampoo and conditioner were missing.  I thought for a moment and looked around and noticed that my razor and face wash were missing too.  Just then, I remembered that my youngest daughter was home from college and was sleeping soundly at that moment in her bed.  I wondered if she had taken the time to think about what might happen if she took all of these things out of my shower.  Did she think about all of the water that I would splash on the bathroom floor as I searched through my cabinets for some travel size shampoo and conditioner bottles?  Or did she realize that I might need to shave or wash my face?

All of a sudden it dawned on me that her action had given me the opportunity to be reminded that she was home.  The person that I miss so often when she is away at college was now in my house and would be here for the next month.  So I enjoyed the moment.  I enjoyed the thought of this little one that had been sent to me as "a gift from the Lord."

When she woke up at 12:30pm, I made breakfast for her and lunch for me.  When we prayed together, I thanked Jesus out loud that my shampoo was missing, and my razor was gone and how it reminded me that He had brought home my youngest daughter for Christmas.  We laughed as we prayed and enjoyed one another.

This experience made me realize how many moments I have wasted being irritated by the small interruptions of life.  God has given to my life so many gifts and sometimes my perspective robs me of seeing the gifts and enjoying what He has given to me.

In James 1:17 it says, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Heavenly lights."  Think about all of the gifts that God is trying to give to us each day.  He has an infinite supply of everything that we need.  He knows our hearts completely and does extravagant things each day to remind us that He is with us.  Just think about the sunset and the sunrise.  Each day, He paints a masterpiece in the sky in the morning and the evening.  It is there for our viewing pleasure and often we don't notice it.

In 1 Timothy 6:17 it instructs us to "trust in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy."  God wants us to take the time out to enjoy.  Life is not meant to be so serious and filled with busyness.  We were created to enjoy the amazing things and people that God has given to us.  Enjoying what God has given us and His creation is a way of worshiping Him and appreciating Him.  So, in this busy time of year, block out some time in your schedule and fill it in with one word.  ENJOY!!

You are very valuable!!

The other day, I was leaving a coffee shop with a friend.  On our way out, we bumped into a woman who my friend knew and I was acquainted with.  As I looked at this woman, I saw something familiar in her face.  She had a defeated and worn-down look that I used to see in my own mirror.  My heart broke and I immediately began to talk with her about her value.

I remember living in this place of hopelessness, survival, and depression.  For me, the cure was understanding my value to God.  As I began to understand how the Lord felt about me and the purpose for which He created me, I began to spend fewer and fewer days in this helpless state.

You are created with great purpose.  God says that we are "created for good works, which He prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them"(Ephesians 2:10).  You are very special.  You are made by God to do something very specific.  You have qualities that qualify only YOU to do what you were created to do.  Fulfilling your purpose is very satisfying and fun.

Besides having a great purpose for your life, God loves you so much.  He says in Exodus 19:5 that He wants to make you "His special treasure."  Also, Psalm 45:10 says, "The King (God) is enthralled with your beauty."  Think about it!  This word enthralled means fascinated, captivated, charmed, and enchanted.  God, who spread out the universe with His right arm, is captivated by your beauty.  WOW!  Believe what God says and it will revolutionize your world.

As I go out day to day, realizing that God is so concerned with the way I am spending my time and that He is guiding me to the work He has created for me, it turns my life into an adventure!!  As I greet people with a smile knowing that I am a special treasure to God, I am delivered from fear.  If someone says something nasty about me or laughs at me or makes fun of me, I simply think to myself "Well, that is not what God thinks!  He thinks I am beautiful and that I am a special treasure."

I have only listed a few things about your value.  When you understand your value, you will have created a standard for living that matches your understanding.  You will get help when being mistreated.  You will choose people to have in your life that value you.  You will be gentle with yourself and care for yourself.  Look in the mirror and look deep into your eyes which are the windows to your soul.  Do you believe that you are a special treasure?