If I were to ask a group of people whether or not they would appreciate a little extra attention and kindness thrown their way from a boss, co-worker, friend or loved one, do you think anyone would turn it down? Of course not.
Who in their right mind doesn't want to be favored? I'd say - Nobody! Everyone wants good things to come their way. Regardless of age, we all could use some extra attention concerning favor when it comes to the desires, wants and needs in our life.
Did you realize that as a child of the Living God, the righteous have a shield of favor surrounding them at all times? It's true, but most don't realize this benefit of salvation let alone know how to walk in God's supernatural favor.
For some time people have been telling me that they feel the devil is having a "field day" in their lives and that nothing is going as planned. It's no secret that the enemy is always on the lookout for an easy target, but how many realize that their confession is actually activating the power of satan to come against them.
While reviewing some scriptures this passage in Psalm came to my attention. After my reading, as a reminder of the Promises of God through His favor, I felt led to share three of my archived teachings on this subject.
I pray that these lessons will be an encouragement and reignite your faith as you go through these trying times. No matter what things look like my favored friends, keep a watch over your confessions (don't speak against what God's word says) and never give in to the enemy. Trust God and believe in His promises to shield you in every situation.
"For You (God), bless the Righteous, O Lord; You cover them with favor as a shield." Psalm 5:12
Until next time, Favored Blessings!
P.S. The world is experiencing the most difficult times in history. People are looking for something or someone to believe in that will bring them hope. You have the opportunity to be that someone! Be an encouragement to others by sharing this gospel message of faith and favor!
Read more about how you too can live in the Favor of God. (Click here: Tell Me About Jesus)
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.Click on the above tab “Tell Me About Jesus” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
Unless noted, scripture reference in series was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Bible Gateway. ImageCreative Common License if not specified.
Welcome, Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, Daily Favor Teaching Blog
Have you ever done something that may not have been the
brightest idea, but you did it anyway?I’ve proved not to be the sharpest tack in the box by doing this a ton of
times. I probably shouldn’t admit that openly, let alone in writing.
There are just some things that we know we shouldn’t do,
but often time restraints keep us from thinking clearly.That’s something Brandy experienced a few
weeks ago.
Her day began as usual, but not long after Brandy left
the house the supernatural world became real through the help of neighbors.
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB –Argentina;Bangladesh; Barbados; Edmonton, AB, Canada; Equatorial Guinea; Waitara,
Taranaki, New Zealand; Tanuku, Andhra Pradesh, India; Dasmariñas, Calabarzon,
Philippines; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Antilyas & Kasrouane, Mount Lebanon
Governorate, Lebanon; Mazabuka, Southern Province, Zambia; Providenciales,
Turks and Caicos Islands; Fiorano Canavese,
Piedmont, Italy.
USA
–Fairfield,
Fontana, Temecula & Vacaville, CA; Castle Rock & Westminster, CO; Belle
Glade, Brownsville, Johnson, Pembroke Pines & Timber Pines, FL; Peachtree
Corners, GA; Pearl City, HI; Chester & Reisterstown, MD; Owendale, Saginaw & Sebewaing, MI; Cumberland, Cranford, Glassboro, Milltown,
Pine Lake Park & Williamstown, NJ; Canby, OR; Ephrata & Linglestown, PA;
Sherman, TX.
I am so thankful for your visit and hope that you come
back each week to participate in the weekly challenges.Join us in our new series as we spend time in
the study of Daily Favor Prayers.
You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.All are private. I would love to hear from
you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.Contact me by leaving a message in the box at
the bottom of this week’s post.
Don't miss out on this week's challenge
(below).
Be sure to visit
Tell Me, Q & A or other sections.
Keep your motor running …Not!
Brandy had just dropped her one year old son off at
daycare and was heading to work.Realizing that she had forgotten a package to be mailed that day, the
young cook made a quick turn around and returned home.
Not wanting to be late for work Brandy left her vehicle
running leaving the door wide open as she made haste into the garage to
retrieve the parcel.At the same time
her roommate Leslie was coming out of the house on her way to work, when she
saw a strange man lurking near the back of Brandy’s truck.Keeping silent she dialed 911.
The man had lowered the tailgate and
started to put his bicycle in the back of the truck when Leslie called out to
her friend in the garage.Seeing he had
been spotted the man pulled his bike out of the truck bed and tried to make a
getaway.
Running away the “almost robber”
started disrobing, tossing his very identifiable bright red jacket in a bush and
a greyish sweatshirt in a yard a few houses away from theirs.Ditching his bike, back and forth he ran from
house to house trying to find a place where he could make an escape.His efforts were to no avail, because every
home on the street had a fenced in back yard that was joined together at some
point!
Auto Zone
Hardly believing what they saw, the
two girls watched in fear from their front porch as the “would be thief” tried
to find shelter by hiding in the bushes.The easterly morning sun made plain where he was by revealing his
shadow.Abiding in man’s shadow surely
wasn’t a safe haven for him.
Within minutes the police converged
on the neighborhood like a swat team ready for action.Tension grew when the armed officers drew
their guns.Tracking the steps of the criminal
they swiftly moved wasting no time apprehending the fellow and arrested him.
The following day the two women
learned that the auto thief was definitely not in the right zone and had a list
of priors and warrants for his arrest as high as the truck itself!
It Was Prayer
Last week, after the event, Leslie
saw her neighbor getting out of his vehicle when she motioned for him to come
to the fence that divided their yards.After hearing the details of the almost robbery that literally took place ten feet from their home, he went inside his
house and shared the news with his wife.Immediately
she knew why the man’s plan to do evil was destroyed … it was prayer!
Something unbeknown to Brandy and
Leslie is that their neighbors are not just Christians, but gateway to Heaven’s
courtyard prayer warriors.In prayer
each night the middle aged couple activates the promises of God by giving voice
to Psalm 91, calling on His angels to form an invisible cover of protection
over the entire community.
The Favored Saints Prayer
I’m not going to rewrite history by
giving a long dissertation about all the ins and outs that pertain to Psalm 91,
but will share that it’s one of the most powerful songs of prayer in the Bible.Scholars refer to this passage of scripture
as the “Favored” Saints Prayer, because of its limited access to the Throne of
the Almighty.
Although there are only sixteen
verses, it is packed with promises of God for those who dare to enter "the
secret place" reserved for a chosen few.It is clearly broken down into sections describing what each is for and
the privileges that pertain to those who God makes these assurances to in His
“circles”.
A Guest of God’s
Prayer isn’t foreign to anyone, not
even those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior. People “pray” or call out to a
higher authority whenever they’re in a situation they can’t face alone.
New believers learn to pray from the
time they’re babes in Christ, but they don’t always know how to do it with the
authority they received upon salvation. Although God hears the prayers of all
His children, not every person that prays is invited into the Throne room of
God as His guest in the inner court.There’s a reason for that.
Let me explain what I mean without
going into too much detail about the kinds and types of prayer.What I’m referring to involves fellowship in
prayer with God where an individual “dwells” or “abides” with the Lord.It’s a place where friendship is formed and
builds upon the foundation of trust.
Only those who put their complete
faith and trust in God enjoy the full benefits found in Psalm 91.
The Inside Scoop
Scripture tells about such
relationships like that of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Elijah or Enoch, and these are
only a few mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible.Don’t get me started with the New Testament folks
or this article would never get finished!The trust between the covenant partners was so great that miraculous things
happened and angels were a common sighting.
Take Abraham for our first example.
His relationship was valued by GOD so strongly that He made a covenant with old
Abe that no one could break, ever! (Abrahamic covenant ceremony Genesis 15) Talk
about being on the inside track for a news scoop, Jesus and His angels popped
in for a meal before sharing with His friend the plans about destroying Sodom
and Gomorrah.
The LORD trusted Moses’ faith in Him to
give him the sacred Ten Commandments in private meetings where they fellowshipped
for long periods of time without interruption. (Exodus 20)The anointing and favor of God fell on Moses’
second in command, Joshua, because he learned how to spend time with the Lord as did
his leader.How many people do you know asked
God to stop the sun from setting and He did it? (Joshua 10:12-14)
Who else in history strolled with God
all the way to Heaven without dying, because the Heavenly Father valued the fellowship
of a friend so much He didn’t want it to stop? (Enoch - Genesis 4:21-24)That’s really sitting at ringside in the
court of God wouldn’t you say?
The favor of God on Elijah was so
strong that Elisha asked for a double portion of the anointing before he
witnessed the Prophet ascending to Heaven in a whirlwind. (2 Kings 2:9 -11)I can hear him now … ”Where can I get some of
that?”
Abiding in His Shadow
It was during a difficult time when I
first learned how to pray and understood that angels only move into
action when they heard the Word of God spoken.Knowing this was another good reason to memorize passages of scripture,
especially in times of danger.
Breaking down the psalm there are key
elements that believers sometimes overlook.From the opening the psalmist (not really known, but believed to be
Moses due to Psalm 90 being written by him), share the key to being invited
into the secret places of the Most High God.
In order for us to dwell (live or abide)
under God’s protection, we have to trust Him and actually go where He is when seeking
our refuge.Only those who dwell
with God get a place under His shadow to be covered from the works of the
devil.It’s like if you’re caught in a
rain storm but your husband has the umbrella in the car! (That just
happened!)Without a covering of protection
believers are vulnerable and prey for satan.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most
High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.Surely He shall deliver you
from the snare of the fowlerand from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be
your shield and buckler.”
(Psalm 91: 1-4 NKJV)
When you abide with God, there’s safety in
His presence because His shadow always goes with Him.It’s a secret place for the favored because
of their personal relationship and abiding communion with God near His mercy seat.
It’s a privilege to be a guest with the Lord
where He pours out protection, refreshing, comfort and favor to those who love
to sit and chat without seeking “favors” all the time.God values those precious times and is a
rewarder of those who seek Him and not His handouts.
They’re His Angels
Another promise of God for those in
the secret place is that He sets angels over any situation that comes against
the person who has taken refuge under His shadow. They are His angels, not
co-workers of satan or flunkies that lost access to the Throne room of
God.
Not only do “shadow dwellers” have
God’s protection, they have angels ... that's plural, not singular angels surrounding them.
“ Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most
High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”
(Psalm 91: 9-11 NKJV)
If you read the life accounts of the few individuals I
mentioned there would be no doubt that they spent a lot of time under God’s
shadow.Angels were everywhere pulling
them out of situations as only God’s servants could.
He Did it for Them, He’ll Do it for
You
Like Brandy there are times that we
make innocent mistakes in judgment, and it’s those times we really need the
angels of the Lord surrounding us as a shield to guard against the enemy.She trusted in the fact that the neighborhood
was a pretty safe one and didn’t expect evil biting at her tires.
Brandy’s vehicle (or anyone else’s
for that matter) didn’t get stolen because of diligently praying the Daily
Favor of Psalm 91.Angels prevented the
man from fleeing, the officers captured a “wanted” criminal and no one was
harmed.
Taking Psalm 91 to heart and trusting God as your refuge
will allow anyone who believes in Jesus to abide in His shadow of
protection.If we set our love on God, what
God did for the people in the Bible, He will also do for you or me.
He promises to be with us when we’re in trouble. God will
answer our prayers, honor our relationship, deliver and satisfy us with long
life.Personally God will reveal the
benefits as Kingdom heirs, and we will experience the fullness of our salvation.
“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore
I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My
name.
(He has a personal knowledge of My unmerited
favor, love, and kindness. He trusts and relies on Me,
knowing that I will
never forsake him.)
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver
him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him, and show him
My salvation.”
(Psalm 91: 14-16 NKJV emphasis mine)
When someone truly loves and trusts you,
keeping that person safe and showing them endless favor is something you just
want to do!
This Week’s Challenge:
Neighborhood Prayer Watch
Praying over our neighbors should be one of the first
things on our list when we go before the Lord with our petitions.Safety is a number one priority for us when
we think of our family, so shouldn’t we be praying for anything and
anyone that could come into their path each day?
We have no control over what happens around us when it
comes to what people do, but we can make sure that when “stuff” happens we’re
already under the “Shadow Protection” plan of God.Whom shall we fear when we’re standing in the
shadow of the Almighty?
From this point on our challenge is to make sure that
every day we pray Psalm 91 over our neighborhood and put God’s angels to flight
in keeping everyone safe.Get it down
deep in your soul that God’s protection acts as a shield around the Righteous
who take refuge in Him.
Be more than an “ordinary” Christian, be a “Shadow
Dweller” and the favor of God will always surround you as a protective shield of
armor.
“ For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.”
Maybe
you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of
favor in your life also.Click on the
above tab “Tell Me” for more
information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content
and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy.
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due
to lack of belief.
Scripture
references provided by Gateway Bible in the New King James Bible Version or as
noted.
Psalm 91, Daily Favor Prayer, Protection, Safety, Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, The Favored Shield Weapon, Christian Living, Phil Driscoll, Shadow of the Almighty, Favor of God, Prayer, Weekly Challenge
The library was just a few blocks from our home, and
since we had finished watching a video we decided to return it on the way to
church.Technically, it wasn’t due back
until Tuesday, but in case of snow it would be something we didn’t have to
concern ourselves with during the week.Besides who would want to be responsible for withholding Anne of Green
Gables from anyone?
Traffic was pretty good for a New Year’s Day
morning.Hubby easily pulled up to the side
of the library and opened the return deposit box slipping the video into the
slot.Banging on the door a few times
the movie finally dropped into the bin.
Looking to my right I noticed a man standing outside my
friend’s church, which was located directly across from the library.His behavior was a little unsettling, not
because of something I thought was unusual but he looked as if he was waiting
for someone to show up and they hadn’t arrived.
Back and forth the gentleman turned his head checking out
his surroundings.My husband and I
watched the situation and began wondering what was really happening.Both of us felt that something was not
right.
A few moments later the man opened the church door and
went inside.Not feeling comfortable
about what we saw our church plans changed in an instant.“I
guess we know we’re we are going today.” I said as my husband made a quick
right into the church parking lot.
You see, this wasn’t only our friend’s church, the pastor
is our neighbor and my husband made a commitment to him that he would always
have his back (something that I wasn't aware of until later that day).Well, that confession was
about to be put to the test.
Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list.
New on DFB –Reservoir, VIC,
Australia; Afghanistan; Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa; Maracaibo, Zulia,
Venezuela; Suva, Central Division, Fiji; Germany; Kenya; Malaysia; Sweden;
France; Guyana; Seychelles; India; Slovakia; Netherlands; Pakistan; Cambodia;
Ethiopia; Jordan; Kharkov, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine; Berkhamsted, England,
United Kingdom; Greece.
I am so thankful for your visit and hope that you come back each week to participate in the weekly challenges. Join us in our new series as we spend time in the study of Daily Favor Prayers.
You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.All are private. I would love to hear from
you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.Contact me by leaving a message in the box at
the bottom of this week’s post.
Don't miss out on this week's challenge
(below).
Be sure to visit
Tell Me, Q & A or other sections.
In the Beginning
At the beginning of every year I’m full of joy in
anticipation as to what God is going to do and can’t wait to dive into new
projects.Oh who am I kidding … I get
that way every week.Just ask my
husband.Yesterday I asked him if he was
excited about re-roping the cat towers.You can imagine the look I got!
As my story begins, this isn’t something that I would
have added to my Christian bucket list … or any list for that matter, but God
chose to begin the year His way as He does anyway and always!
The Unlikely Visitor
Opening the door to enter we were immediately brought
into a heated confrontation that has taking place in the middle of the corridor.The pastor was dealing with the man that we
saw outside of his church.Not getting
into his business, we proceeded to go into the sanctuary when a woman from the
church tugged my arm quietly pulling me aside.
Walking into the sanctuary, hubby had no idea that I
wasn’t behind him and began to talk to one of the members we
knew.Being a small city you get to know
the people and the churches in town.
After filling me in on the situation, I told the lady not
to worry and we’d take care of it.She
wasn’t exactly asking for my help, but being a friend of ours she felt it was
necessary to inform us about what had taken place that morning.
Now I wasn’t being prideful, but went into action for
what I had been trained for in dealing with special needs such as in
emotionally disturbed cases.The pastor
was calmly trying to “talk him down” when I observed the faces on the
congregation.They were distressed and
unfocused, but extremely concerned about the life of their pastor.What congregation wouldn’t be if they
witnessed this going on in their church?
Fashion Always Matters
Walking up to my husband who was engaged in deep
conversation with his friend, I motioned for him to come with me and said, “Follow my lead.”Without hesitation he tagged behind and we
stepped out into the vestibule area.
There was no question of what had to be done, and being
in the situation many times in the past hubby was spot on with his
actions.Spending a lot of time ministering
among the people in South Jersey and Philly streets was about to pay off for
us.
The first thing we needed to do was to separate the
pastor from the individual.Quickly my
husband stood between the two as I began to stir up a conversation with the
visitor distracting his attention so the pastor could leave the vicinity.
Addressing the pastor I intervened and suggested that he
was needed inside, and that he should go prepare the congregation for the
service.The pastor wasn’t sure if that
was what he should do, because he was concerned about the flock's safety and the
uninvited guest that was making his presence very well known.Assuring him that it was the right thing at
that time, he left us to take care of the situation.
Safely inside the sanctuary the pastor led his
people and the service finally began.It
was behind those doors that we learned why the traveler was so angry.He shared events that had happened in his
past and current situations that caused him to behave in such an unruly
manner.
Seeing that his body language was changing another
diversion was needed.Making sure to be in
a safe position I slowly took his hand and gently touched the top of it as I
softly spoke to him.Looking down from
his over six foot stance he looked me in the face, and as if a bird flew in
front of him as a distraction in a calm voice he said, “I like your sunglasses.They’re
really cool.”It always pays to be
in fashion!
Unwelcome Spirits
Taking over the conversation my husband asked the visitor
some questions keeping the backpack of the visitor in his vision.While listening I noted the young man’s
clothing, appearance and overall look.He was dressed nicely, his clothes were in fashion and clean.There was no sign of alcohol or drugs that we
could detect, but there were definitely “unwelcome spirits” present.
To look at him you couldn’t tell that he was
not in his right frame of mind, but listening to his speech there was something
distinctly wrong.The possessions he was
carrying weren’t ones that could be sold or distributed on the streets, if you
get my drift.
When I asked him if he was from this area he was quick to
tell me of his current living conditions, thus the needed backpack setting by
his feet in the corner.His travels for
justice had taken him across the country leaving his mark from state to
state.Raising his voice he was
passionate about the things he spoke and even rattled on without error large
quotes from the Bible.Aww… but even satan
knows scripture!
He had done his homework and used specific passages to
justify and promote the vengeance that was in his heart and on his mind.He demanded respect and felt mercy had been
violated therefore warranting his actions that were to come.
Talking him out of his plans I convinced the stranger to come
inside and worship with us.You might
not think it was a sound thing to do, but at that point the Holy Spirit was
leading me to do this.
Grabbing his backpack, with a smile on his face he stated
he was glad to join us.Observing where
I was about to sit he glanced at my husband and slipped into the pew in front
of us.Sitting down he settled back and
stretched his very long arms out along the back of the pew making himself right
at home.
Whew … had we weathered the
storm?
The Status Quo Has Changed
My husband sat directly behind the young man with me
moving about three or four feet to his right putting some distance between
us.Making sure that the man’s hands and
backpack were always in clear view, hubby kept an eye on him remaining poised
to go into action lest something started to go amiss.
The congregation geared their attention toward the man my
husband was talking to earlier.He asked
for song requests among the congregants and I called out, “It should be a song of praise.”Rising we began to sing every verse of the first and second selections.
We watched as the visitor sang the songs as if he knew
them, but something happened when we sang the words “Holy Spirit.”Putting down the hymnbook the man latched
onto his backpack and abruptly left the sanctuary, with hubby following right
behind him. The status quo had changed
and both my husband and I knew it.
I’m Diving in … Going Deep Lord!
The congregation stopped singing and sped into panic mode
as the pastor swiftly made his way out into the corridor.I watched as the sheep lost focus when their
shepherd left the room.Taking the leap
of faith I stepped out prepared to let the Holy Spirit take charge through me, and
called for the congregation to make their way to the altar at the opposite end
of the room.
From the outer hall we could hear an up roaring with the
man’s voice rising to a shout.No longer
did he hold back, but had risen to the point of violence like angry ocean waves
crashing down to destroy anything in its path, only water was nowhere in sight
and there were no wild “pigs” among us.
We didn’t know what we were walking into that day, but like
the rains from Heaven that morning, the river of God had carried us there for a
reason.I wasn’t sure why but I was
excited and invigorated; God had answered my prayers of discouragement as to my
usefulness and He was about to be glorified through His servants.
“That’s my son,” the reverend's mother called
out.I could almost imagine Mary, the
mother of Jesus when she witnessed her son being taken away to be nailed to the
cross.How her heart must have been
breaking as she called out to him not being able to stand in the gap for His
safety.
Disregarding what I was hearing and seeing, the Spirit of
the Lord led my steps as to what we were to do.
“Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor;
be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving
the Lord.
Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and
patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:11-12
AMPC)
Wanting
to rush to his side, I took hold of the woman’s arm urging her to turn around
and come with me to the front of the auditorium.“I
know he's your son; it’s going to be all right and the best way to help him is to enter the
Throne room of God and intercede for him.”
One
by one the people obeyed and gathered hand-in-hand to enter into prayer.I began to pray aloud, but
as I did the Holy Spirit led me to pray over the faith of those who stood in
the midst of this ordeal.I thanked Him
for their faithfulness and servanthood as I continued to call on the promises
of God through His shield of protection and favor.
The prayer seemed to last forever and the grip of the
hands I held got tighter as my voice uttered the power of the Holy Spirit to
protect and form a shield around His people.I was fully aware that my husband was in danger, but never feared for
his safety.God was with us, and His
peace overflowed in my spirit with compassion as I prayed in agreement for the
troubled soul who entered this dwelling.
The Word of the Lord
I could hear that the disturbance at the back of the
sanctuary had calmed, but was still involved. When I finished the prayer the
people remained gathered around me.It
was then the Holy Spirit had me ask about their vision and preparedness for the
future of the church in situations such as this.At that time I didn’t know that this was
something the pastor wanted to discuss with their “changing” church.
Could God count on them to be bold warriors when
encountering difficult situations, or would they be like so many other churches
and turn these people away never giving any thought for the soul that could be
lost for eternity? Would they be
servants God could use or a wussy church that wanted to live in a bubble and
not see any of the messy things in life?
With smiles on their faces, shortly afterward the pastor
and my husband returned to the sanctuary.Not knowing what happened to dissuade the intruder, the people were
still afraid and two men had locked the doors to the building.At that point the congregation was relieved
and ready to make haste in getting out of there, when the pastor said he was going
to close in prayer and dismiss us.
This was a test from the Lord for the readiness of His
people to be prepared for the end times and I didn’t want to fail it.The distraction from satan wasn’t going to
stop the work of God in this church, and again I spoke out in boldness.
“Oh no … I came to hear from God.”Looking at the pastor I humbly said, “Didn’t
you spend time with the Lord?What did
He say to you?I’m not leaving until I
hear what God has told you.”
I walked back to my seat and watched as the others
returned to theirs as well.The spirit
in the church changed and we couldn’t wait to hear what God had revealed to
His servant to share with us.Even though
it was late, the pastor spoke with wisdom on the peace of God that dwelled among
us continuing a message from the previous week on Luke chapter two: “Where is
the Peace?”
He spoke on how we are to do things in love with
the help of the Holy Spirit. His message shared how God’s children are to live in
peace among people and how we aren’t to become derailed when evil distractions
come.Hindsight would have worked here!
The understanding of a
situation or event only
after it has happened or developed!
How appropriate for the situation, and exactly why the
devil didn’t want this word to be spoken to the church.The Word of the Lord indeed refreshed and
renewed us as the Holy Spirit drove home the message we lived out that morning.
To the Current Church
Today I’m writing this to the church for the end times.If we are to be used by God, He will always
send people into our lives to cause us to live out His Word and the faith we
declare through Christ Jesus.Some
situations may not be easy, but that’s when we are to step up our game into the
next level through prayer.
When we walked into church last Sunday our hearts and
minds were set on doing whatever God wanted us to do for Him that day.We didn’t anticipate what would take place,
but prayerfully were prepared.
What you may not realize is that we pray daily over the
people on our street, which includes our neighbor who is the pastor of that particular
church.Before he entered that church
building on January 1st the prayer of God’s favor shield had already
gone before him.Although we didn’t know
the events that were about to take place, God did.
The Loving Shepherd
That Sunday the pastor’s message extended into the
passage in Romans on the behavior of God’s people when they encounter
things that are unlovely and wicked.The Apostle Paul shares the mind of Christ with us on how we are never
to lack confidence, zeal or react in fear to anything satan tries to throw our
way.
“Let your love be sincere (a real thing); hate
what is evil (loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness),
but hold
fast to that which is good.
Love one another with brotherly affection (as
members of one family), giving precedence and showing honor to one another.
Contribute to the needs of God’s people (sharing
in the necessities of the Saints); pursue the practice of hospitality.”
(Romans 12:9,10,13 AMPC)
After the congregation had left we spent some
time with the pastor.I expressed how
the first thing I wanted to do was to feed the boy; his thoughts were the
same.Giving word that he had eaten the
pastor gave him a bottle of water.The
conversation took a twist with both of us being teachers, and we began to
dissect the situation as we would with a child in distress.
Obviously there is much more to this story
than I am able to reveal as to why fear went rampant that Sunday morning, but I
can share this with you.The pastor told
us that the man never asked for anything of him materially and in fact had his
own wad of cash stashed inside his coat pocket.We didn’t find out the contents of his backpack, but learned from the
police that he was on the FBI watch list (wanted) for situations involving
Washington, D.C and the president.So
you can kind of tell … it was a big deal to some people!
Everywhere this man went he was treated as a
threat and removed from the premises, yet he was still free to roam the country.Was this the only church that ever prayed for
his soul!Is this the sort of place God
is looking to use to shower favor on in the midst of trials and tribulation?
I was so proud (in a godly way) of how the
pastor handled this situation with kindness and love, despite how he was being
treated by this individual.
14 Bless those who persecute you (who
are cruel in their attitude
toward
you); bless and do not curse them.
16 Live in harmony with one another;
do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust
yourself to (people, things)
and give yourselves to humble tasks.
Never overestimate yourself
or be wise in your own conceits.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but
take thought for what is honest and
proper and noble (aiming to be
above reproach)
in the sight of everyone.
18 If possible, as far as it depends
on you,
live at peace with everyone.
19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves,
but leave the way open for
(God’s) wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is
Mine,
I will
repay (requite), says the Lord.
20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed
him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning
coals upon his head.
What a wonderful way
to begin a new year with the shield of favor wrapped tightly around God’s
people for protection and deliverance!God had worked in the heart of a loving young shepherd who had spent
time in fellowship with The Great Shepherd Jesus, through prayer and studying
the Bible.We witnessed him walking out
the Word of God before he ever preached a word!
This Week’s Challenge:
Dive in to Daily
Favor Prayer
I’m truly excited about
what God is going to do in this year that He has graciously given us.In my
time with the Lord I’ve asked Him what our focus should be.Every step
I’ve taken has led me back to the Throne of grace and the Daily Favor of God
given to us through prayer.
With that in mind, I
hope you will follow along as we “unwrap the mysteries” of Daily Favor prayers
over the coming weeks. As the end time
church we need to be prayerfully prepared for whatever or whomever comes our
way, so that the Word of the Lord reaches every soul, everywhere!
Are you ready to dive
into the glorious plans of God through the work of the power of the Holy
Spirit?Let’s go …
Our first challenge of the year is to begin in
prayer.To help get ready for the new
things that God is about to do in our lives this year, I’d like to share with
you an inspirational prayer of deliverance and protection from my brother in
Christ Jahmadar Cassie. Pray
this prayer daily declaring it to be so by faith in your life.
That morning my husband and I didn’t expect to be
rerouted, but we obeyed the leading of the Holy Spirit.He used the gifts and skills He gave us in
that matter not to usurp the pastor’s authority, but to honor it and protect
the shepherd so he could do the work God has appointed for him.
God is looking for people that will allow Him to do new
things in their lives so that His favor of salvation can be shared with every
nation. Are you willing to be
swept away by God’s Holy grace (favor) to experience all that He wants for your
life?Let’s begin by going deep in
prayer and watch how God releases His Daily Favor on our lives this year.
Be forewarned, the supernatural new thing may begin in
your very own church or home and it certainly won’t be what you expected!How will you react to the unlikely “visitor”
He sends your way?By prayer and faith
we can do this!
It’s time to be prepared … be very prepared!
“Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs
forth; do you not perceive and
know it and will you not give
heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I
know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more
information on becoming a child of the Savior.
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1.Do not copy.
Scripture
reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Gateway Bible. Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified. Image:
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Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief. Daily Favor Prayer, Teaching Series, The Favored Shield Weapon, Favored1, Daily Favor Blog, Prayer, United Prayer, Happy New Year, Steven Curtis Chapman, Christian Living, Inspiration, Larry Kreider, Repairing A Cat Scratching Post, Anna of Green Gables the Continuing Story.
