Prayers For An Unknown Sister

Jeremiah 33:3

“Call to me, and I will answer you.

And I will show you great and wonderful things

which you do not know.”

I am a “show me” type of girl. I am not prone to blindly accept things that I don’t understand. Raised in a conservative Baptist church, my first experience hearing someone ‘speaking in tongues’ during my college years left me wide eyed and wondering, “what in the world was THAT!”

Fast forward about 19 years. The tragedy of 911 brought me through the doors of a Spirit filled, Bible believing Church. I attended a weekly women’s bible study where we began a series on the “gifts of the Holy Spirit” At the culmination of the study, there was a time of prayer for anyone who desired to receive Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gift of tongues.

Now, In my heart, I wanted to experience this gift. But in my head, I was afraid that the Holy Spirit would cause me to blurt out unintelligible words at the grocery store or my PTA meeting! I voiced this struggle and was quickly assured that The Holy Spirit is gentle and allows us the choice of when to use our prayer language. So I said “Yes” and we prayed a simple prayer for me to receive this special gift of speaking in tongues.

My experience was not dramatic. Little by little I noticed new words that I did not understand begin to flow quietly from my lips during worship. Soon I was happily singing and speaking my new Holy Spirit language in my personal prayer time.

As my fluency increased, I began to notice repetitions of words when I prayed. I had no idea what I was praying for in the Spirit, but one particular word began to be repeated within my prayer language... “Galia” Sometimes spoken as if I were encouraging a frightened child and, at other times, I sensed I was defending someone or warring against something. The word “Galia” consistently remained within my prayer language. I wondered what it meant so I called upon the Lord to show me.

God disclosed the mystery 6 months later while on a mission trip to Ukraine. A young woman came up for prayer following a conference on the gifts of the Spirit. Through the interpreter, she told us that she desired to receive the gift of tongues. I smiled, remembering my own request a few months earlier and marveling at His timing & the miracle that I was here now, praying for this unknown sister. I asked the interpreter to tell us the woman’s name.

She replied in broken English.....”Her name is GALIA.”

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, May we operate in the fullness of your Spirit every day we live! May we never be so grounded to the world that we miss the blessings reserved for those who soar with your Spirit. You are such an amazing God! Amen.


-Kim Dent

What Are You Serving Your King?

This morning,  as I was getting my coffee creamer out of the fridge, my nose was
assaulted by a very disagreeable or more accurately, DISGUSTING odor!  I am not
good at using the leftovers before they “go south”  and today the culprit was a lone
piece of chicken hiding way in the back behind the milk.

I dug out the smelly poultry and quickly dumped it down the disposal and followed it with
a lemon chaser to be sure the stink was completely gone.

I settled in for some time with Jesus. I love how The Holy Spirit uses object lessons to
teach me truths in His word.  This morning He decided the recent “chicken incident”
would coincide nicely with Malachi 1.  (I can hear you saying “WHAT?”  hang in there
with me...)

Here’s the scoop: Malachi was the last of the OT prophets. The temple had been rebuilt
for almost a century and the people were, once again, losing their enthusiasm for
worship. The sins that had led to the downfall of Jerusalem were rearing their ugly
heads once again; Contempt for God’s name, offering false worship and leading others
into sin. Oh and let’s not forget that they were also breaking God’s laws by offering
diseased and imperfect sacrifices on His Holy Altar. (smelly leftovers) Added to that list
was the sin of calling evil “good”, keeping God’s tithes and offerings for themselves, and
becoming arrogant hypocrites. Ouch!

OK, Before we shake our heads at the Israelites,let me ask you;  Have you ever gotten
tired of waiting on the Lord?   Ever lost your zeal for living the sanctified life?  Ever fallen
back into the same old sin you were sure you had been delivered from just last week?
Have you ever worshiped or spent time with the Lord out of duty and obligation? This is
simply serving Him the dry leftovers of a heart that has lost it’s freshness in the
dailyness of life.

Come on girls, confession time. Have you ever had one of those days you just don’t
FEEL like cooking something new and creative so you warm up the old leftovers from
last week?  While this may be occasionally acceptable at our family dinner tables, it is
NOT acceptable to our Holy God who commands us to love Him with our whole heart
mind, soul and strength.

Listen to God’s words in Malachi 1:6-7  (italics mine)

     “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the
     honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the LORD
     Almighty.
     “It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
     “But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’“You place defiled food on my altar.”
     “But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’
     “By saying that the LORD’S table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals
     for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals,
     is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! (husband) Would he be
     pleased with you? Would he accept you?” Says the LORD Almighty.

Chapter 5 of Francis Chan’s book “Crazy Love”  is entitled  “serving leftovers to a Holy
God.”  I can’t help but see the correlation here. The days that I am too busy, tired,
depressed etc. to serve Him my very first and best worship are days that I am choosing
to serve Almighty God that smelly chicken in the back of my fridge.  My heart hurts as I
realize that I have done this to the Lover of my soul.

So, sisters...What are YOU serving your King?  Is it your very best and freshest or are
you dragging out the leftovers?

Leftovers are never OK with God.  He desires our whole hearts. Fresh and delivered
piping hot to His holy table each day.  Yet, in His grace and mercy, He understand that
we are but dust and we do grow weary of the waiting. So God made a way for us to
revive our tired hearts  to restore the freshness that the world would seek to destroy.
 
     Jesus said “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened,
     and I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28)

May we serve our King Jesus a beautiful, fresh and authentic platter of praise with a
delicious and heaping side of honor every day we live!
He is Holy. He is worthy of our VERY BEST!

I”m heading to the “grocery store of His Word” now... I hear His mercies are new
(FRESH) every morning!  I need to stock up!

Let’s Pray...

Lord, Forgive me for the times I have served you the leftovers of my weary heart.  You
deserve all of my praise and all of my heart and my obedience.  I know that you are
willing and able to revive me when I am tired.  I know that you are more than enough for
me.  I know that you desire truth in the inmost places and that means you want my
authenticity which is precious to you.  Help me to never serve you leftovers.  I need you
to draw me deeper so that every day will be a new adventure with you. I desire for each
day to become a brand new menu of praise for You!  I adore you, my King.

In the creative, inspiring name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.


-Kim Dent

Little One

Give praise to the LORD, proclaim His name;
   make known among the nations what He has done Ps. 105:1

On January 6th I had the privilege of meeting my newest granddaughter for the first time.  What a joy to finally hold her!  Yet it was with great concern that we observed her way-too-tiny frame.  Her big brown eyes captured my heart immediately.

The chances to hold her were few because she was again admitted to the hospital.  When we talked to the pediatrician at the hospital, he guessed her age to be about 4 1/2 -5 months.  She weighed about 8 lbs.  The basic diagnosis- failure to thrive. We felt so helpless.  Needless to say when we left that hospital room, our hearts were very heavy with concern for her health.  We had to put her in God’s hands.

We returned home, my daughter-in-law tried to find a family that was going to Ethiopia to take special formula for her but there was no one going for a couple of weeks.  She checked into a shipping company who told her they could ship it for a few hundred dollars.  However they were honest with her, telling her it would most likely sit in customs until some government official decided to release it- no guarantees!

The thought crossed her mind, “I wonder if God wants to do something special here?”  My verse to her was that our God was a God who can do more than we can even imagine. I think He really wanted to show us

So “randomly” she Googled “sending formula to Ethiopia”, having no idea of what she would find.   Up pops a website, www.intothestreetsofethiopia.com, a Christian organization that sends formula to Ethiopia.  Jodi called them and they immediately put out an urgent email and FB message asking if anyone was going to Ethiopia.  Within 24 hours an attorney from Arkansas was on his way with $525 worth of formula donated by his family’s pediatrician.  You have to understand this formula is special and comes with a hefty price tag.

The next hurdle was finding someone over there that could go to the airport to meet him rather late at night and get the formula; he was only passing through.  Again God answered prayer!  God faithfully worked out all the details and she has been getting the formula for 2 weeks.

God is so amazing!  While we were there, we met a young mom who is patiently- probably impatiently by now- waiting for her embassy appointment.  Chrissy has graciously gone out of her way many times to visit our little girl and make sure she is getting her special formula and that everything is being done properly.  Even though her appointment has been delayed, she has been a God-send to our family! Please pray that she gets her appointment soon and that everything goes smoothly for her.  She has blessed us so much.

 

“What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.  And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows”.  Matt 10:29-31

Somehow, when I think of what God has been doing for our special little one, I am reminded of the sparrow.  In the eyes of the world, she is just a little girl that really doesn’t matter.  BUT to God and our family she is special and He knows every hair on that small head with the big brown eyes and He is taking care of her until we can bring her home.

We just received a weight report and she is now 10.5 lbs!!

To be continued....


-Margaret Slabach

Don’t Feed the Wildlife

     As I stood at the crest of the hill, God’s beauty lay before me. It was as if God was painting a beautiful masterpiece just for me. The sun was beginning to rise and the sky was splashed with vibrant color. Standing alone with my God that morning, I marveled at who He was. Wanting to get closer to this breathtaking sight, I began my descent down the hill towards the sunrise, singing and worshipping to my awesome God. Birds joined in with their sweet melodies as I
walked along. God’s glory was all around me. Along the roadway, families of deer had emerged from their forest hideaways but seemed oblivious to the beauty that lay before them. Their focus was on eating at that moment and the stranger passing by.
     Coming to the bottom of the hill and rounding the bend, I started my ascent up another small hill. I noticed a sign up ahead of me and, as I got closer, I could read the words written on it in bold print – “PLEASE DON’T FEED THE WILDLIFE”. I immediately laughed out loud because only the day before had I seen many well-meaning people throwing bread and crackers to a group of deer that had ventured near. How ironic I thought that this sign was at a place where few people gathered. I understood the necessity of the sign as the park’s rangers didn’t want the wildlife to become dependent on people for their food and sustenance.
     Continuing on my walk, the Lord impressed upon me the importance of a sign like that for the animal world. But in our world where we live as Christians, God doesn’t put up signs like that. In fact, he wants us to do just the opposite. God wants us to “FEED THE WILDLIFE” – those who are unbelievers, who don’t know God and who don’t have a personal relationship with his son, Jesus
Christ. God wants them to become dependent upon Him not only for their food – their daily bread – but everything else they need as well. God tells us in His Word to “feed the hungry” and those who are living the WILD LIFE are hungry for more than the world has to offer. So as you get ready to start your day, remember to pack some extra “bread” because you may run into some “wildlife” who are hungry and you’ll have just what they need.

John 6:35 – “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

-Ann Ford

Roots...

     Looking out the window this morning I immediately noticed the small burrow of dirt in the garden. It stood out in irritating contrast against the beautifully manicured flower garden. Two long stems of tangled roots were exposed and laid bare within the dirt spewed hole...no doubt the remains of a rabbits dinner the night before! As I think about roots I realize that, underneith the lovely magnolia tree and the vibrant white and red geraniums, twisted and enmeshed below the tall whisps of acacia grass and dancing tiger lillys are the true reason for all this beauty. The stark, unlovely, tangled mess of dirt clumped ROOTS!

          No one would choose to sit and "ooh and ahh" over a display of roots, yet without them there would be no growth, no flowers, no trees, no beauty to behold, no tiny green shoots of hope in the spring. I think about Jesus.. "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Isaiah 53:2".....OH but He is our root!  Apart from Him we have nothing. He is our life source and we,surrendered and connected to Him, are the beautiful display of His glory...His flower garden!

          Today:  Seek out and appreciate the vast array of beauty in everyone you meet and within yourself....and thank the ROOT of it all, Jesus!

 Blessings!
Kim Dent

Under Construction

     One day last summer, I had to take one of my son’s to the airport in Cleveland. He needed to be there by 6:00 a.m. so we had to leave home before the rest of the world was stirring. As we began our journey, traffic was at a minimum and I was able to travel at the posted speed limit. Soon, however, orange construction barrels lined the middle of the highway. It wasn’t necessary to change lanes or even slow my speed. There was no evidence of any construction work going on at all. The barrels came to an end and all was back to normal. About halfway into our journey, the construction barrels appeared once again and this time it was evident that construction was taking place. There were mounds of dirt, torn up pavement and construction vehicles along the roadway. The barrels now required me to slow my speed considerably and change lanes. Soon I had to cross over the median to travel against oncoming traffic….not something I enjoy doing especially while it’s still dark but with minimal traffic, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. After traveling at a slower speed for several miles, the barrels finally directed us back to the right side of the highway. Within a few minutes, the barrels were completely gone. We resumed normal speed and arrived at the airport with time to spare.
     After dropping my son off, I headed back home traveling down the same highway. I knew I would encounter the barrels again but was confident I could maneuver through them with little trouble. While I drove along, the Lord reminded me of how our lives are always “under construction” and will continue to be until we meet him face to face. Sometimes the construction is at a minimum. The barrels are there and the Lord is at work but we don’t always see the construction taking place. The Lord may have put up the barrels to move us from one path to another in order to reconstruct some area of our lives. The barrels may show up in order to get to slow down and refocus our attention. He may allow us to return at some point to the road we were traveling or He may have us take a completely different route. Whatever happens, we can be assured the He is at work and He will continue to keep us “under construction” for His greater purposes and our greater good. So when the barrels pop up on the road you’re traveling, don’t fear. Just embrace the construction work the Lord is about to do in your life.

-Ann F.

Spring Cleaning

     Spring is finally here. Can you feel? Can you see it? The temperature is beginning to climb. The birds are singing their early morning melodies. The trees and flowers are beginning to awake from their winter slumber. What an exciting time of year! Everything is coming alive again. Even we humans are getting excited. As the weather begins to get warmer, we emerge from our wintertime cocoons and find ourselves heading outdoors to prepare our yards and flower beds, practice our golf game or maybe start walking to shed that winter weight gain.
     At this time of year, I always think of my mom. She would decide that one week she would “spring clean” the entire house. Most of us don’t even think about such a thing. It’s hard enough to clean on a weekly basis. This cleaning, however, was unlike the weekly housecleaning she always did. During ‘spring cleaning’ week, she would disassemble each room and clean it from top to bottom. No corner or cupboard or curtain or dresser was left untouched. Furniture was moved and dust bunnies that had collected over the past year were swept away. All bedding and curtains were washed, hung outside to dry, ironed and returned to their proper place. Knick-knacks were taken down from shelves, washed and dried, then put back sparkling clean. You could tell that something inside the house was taking place because of the fresh clean smell. Mom was exhausted by week’s end but there a certain satisfaction with a “job well-done’.
     As I was doing my devotionals one morning, the Lord impressed upon me the importance of a good “spiritual spring cleaning” in my own life. He reminded me how necessary it is to clean out the junk that I’ve let accumulate in my life. And believe me, it does accumulate, sometimes on a daily a basis. It is so important to deal with things as they come up instead of hiding them in the deepest, darkest corners of our lives and hearts. This spiritual cleaning should take place more than once a year like cleaning the house does. When we do this cleaning, we need to look into all those hidden places, dig out the stuff that’s buried down deep, and bring it to the surface so it can swept away just like the dust bunnies. We don’t have to do this alone. God is there to help us with the cleaning. He will do his part but we need to do ours. Are you uncertain about what needs to be cleaned up and cleaned out? Prayerfully ask the Lord to reveal those things to you and to “create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit in me” – Psalm 51:10. Just as the house had a fresh feeling after the spring cleaning, we too will feel a difference in our lives. As we make this cleaning a part of our daily spiritual walk, we will know when, and if, a deep-down cleaning needs to take place. Don’t you want to feel spiritually clean all the time? Why not start your “spiritual spring cleaning” today. You’ll be so glad you did.

-Ann F.