Ambush the Enemy

It was ice cold in the operating room like a refrigerator.  Pat the head nurse, Larry the tech specialist and a few others were preparing for the surgery which was about to take place.

The doctor was scrubbing while the head nurse went through the mandatory checklist before he entered the operating area.  Everything seemed to be set at go, with the patient already on the surgical table with the IV port in place on his arm.

One last inquiry to the patient by Cardio Nurse Pat…

 

“Have you taken your meds this morning?”

“Yes, but not the Warfarin, I take that in the evening.” He responded.

“When did you take that last?”

“Seven o’clock last night. 

“You’re not supposed to take that five days before the surgery.”

“Nobody told me.”

Quickly she huddled with the other staff and scurried out of the room. Someone in another department had dropped the ball.  All of a sudden the room was silent; no one said a word.

Welcome new friends this week from:

See if your city/state/country made the list.

New on DFB – Algeria; Netherlands; Ghana; India; Malaysia; Bangkok, Thailand; Nairobi, Kenya; Lisbon, Portugal; Belgrade, Serbia; Phnom Penh, Cambodia;  Swan View, WA, Australia; Quinto, Ecuador; Altamira, Para, Brazil; Windhoek, Namibia; Bayamon, Cidra, Puerto Rico.

USA – Auburn & Anniston, AL; Las Vegas, NV; Green Bay, WI; Kabetogama, MN; Chattanooga, Seymour & Selmer, TN; Kelseyville, CA; New Castle, PA; Falconer & Jamestown, NY; Sewell; Morristown, Pine Hill & Mullica Hill, NJ; Virginia Beach, VA. 

Thank you for your continued support and sharing Believing Our Belief on Daily Favor.  (DFB - Daily Favor Blog)

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.  

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Read updates on Hubby’s Heart and visit the Q & A or other sections.

I Didn't Give You Fear

 

There are many, many times when I come across a passage in scripture during my daily Bible reading that a particular verse seems to stick in my head.  For some reason I can’t seem to move past it; and that’s what happened when I was reading from Proverbs on April 12^th. 

On the eighth of April we learned that my husband would need another heart operation.  Each night when I retired to my bedroom I re-read this same verse and began applying it to my husband’s pending surgery.  

“In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.”  (Proverbs 12:28 KJV)

Now I know why God kept this before my eyes and in my prayers for almost two weeks.

The second heart surgery was first scheduled for the 14^th of April, but was postponed until the following Tuesday the 21^st.  For several days fear kept trying to overtake everything I did. All day and night I would fall back with the lessons I learned about fear in the Bible.  The Holy Spirit continually reminded me saying, “I did not give you fear, don’t receive it.”

By now you probably figured out that the patient in the opening paragraphs was my husband.  He was about to be operated on when the hand of the Lord stayed the enemy. 

 

 

Prayer Chain Reaction

We formed a prayer chain throughout the world, linking together before the Lord.  Tons of messages from around the globe conveyed that they were praying over this procedure.  Literally four corners of the earth, round the clock prayers were being sent to the gates of Heaven.  Some even told me they were up all night praying because they just couldn’t find peace over the situation.  I knew something wasn’t right and that *satan was forming an attack. 

It wasn’t until late Tuesday night that hubby shared his thoughts about what happened.  This is his story … 

 

Day of "Surgery"

I woke up this morning singing the song “I Believe” by the Newsboys, but didn’t feel in my spirit that this was the song I needed for what I was about to face.  

 

The Lord reminded me of another song (that my wife turns to and that she shares quite often in times of trouble).  It was “Every Praise is to Our God” by Hezekiah Walker.  I started singing and focusing on that praise song. 

 

“Every praise is to our God, every word of worship with one accord, every praise, every praise is to our God.

 

God my Savior, God my Healer, God my Deliverer, Yes He is …”

 

As I continued to sing praising God as my Savior, Healer and Deliverer, I knew it was the right one.

 

When we got to the hospital, nothing went right.  In short,

1 -   We were sent to the wrong wing of the hospital.

2 -   There was no paperwork for me, which was strange because the day before I signed papers and even had my meds bracelet for the surgery ready to go.

3 -   Once those things were sorted out, the staff had great difficulty in getting an IV port started.

4 -   They had the wrong list of medications that I have been taking.

Finally almost two hours later, everything got semi-squared away, and I was transported from ICU to the operating room.

Sitting on the operating table, I was given the last few papers to sign and answered a few more questions about allergies, etc.  I was then asked if I had taken my meds this morning and told them that I had, with the exception of the Warfarin (a blood thinner) which I take in the evening and had taken last night about 7 PM.

That is when everything changed.  The surgical team consisted of five staff members plus the doctor.  When the nurse questioning me heard my answer she responded, “You are not supposed to take Warfarin for five days prior to surgery.”  I was never told that and continued to take my meds as directed.  As a good soldier, I went by the last orders that I had received.

The room got really quiet as everything came to a screeching halt.  Misty quickly wrapped me in blankets taking me off the table.  At once they moved me to a recovery room that was much warmer to wait for the surgeon.

The doctor was disturbed that I had not been given directions concerning the Warfarin.  He ordered a blood INR test to be taken.  The result came back at 2.1.  It can’t be above a 1.7 for the surgery.  During surgery of this nature the blood thinners will cause extreme danger, however they actually need the blood to clot, but not to the point it develops clots.

 

The doctor told us that surgery at my present level was life threatening with the possibility of hemorrhaging into the brain and other organs.  The surgery was cancelled immediately and rescheduled.
 

(A side note here is that the previous day when I went to the hospital for pre-certification and lab work, I requested that an INR test be included.  I asked three times and was turned down all three times).

 

 

Later in the Day

I got to thinking about what I had read on Sunday (just two days before this happened) in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30.

Enemies were coming against King Jehoshaphat and the tribe of Judah.  Jehoshaphat called for prayer and fasting throughout the land, seeking God on this matter.  He got his answer.  They didn’t need to fight in this upcoming battle because God was with them.

 

Living the remarkable things of the Lord!

They went into battle with singers and praisers leading the way saying, “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever.” 

 

As they began to sing and praise, it was then that God set ambushments against the enemies of Judah and totally destroyed them along with their evil plans. (vs. 22)

 

"And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." (2 Chronicles 20:22 KJV)

 

I saw in my experiences on surgery day that the devil had a plan to try and take me out.  However, I prayed (as well as others from around the world who were lifting me up in prayer) and sang praises to God as I did.  God set an ambush for the enemy and destroyed his evil plans against me like He did with Jehoshaphat. 

 

Praise the Lord that I received victory as the devil was once again defeated by Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

You Made A Difference

 

Every week you know that I include a song at the bottom of each post.  I do it for a specific reason.  Singing spiritual songs to God is the highest form of praise we can give to the Lord. 

 

If you haven’t gotten anything out of these posts over the years, please remember that, because it is a weapon only available to the Saints of God.

 

Prayer is another way to praise God, and when we do it in one accord, it literally halts the enemy setting an ambush against the devils devices.

 

That’s what we did this week my friends and family in Christ.  Our united praise in song and prayers was a vital weapon against the wiles of the devil.  You made a difference in the life of a believer, because you believed in God and the power of prayer.

 

 

This Week’s Challenge:

Setting An Ambush 

I take the privilege of writing for the Lord seriously.  Before doing so each week, I pray over the content that I am to share, and all who will view it.  That means you are faithfully covered in prayer.

 

I’d like you to take a step of faith in that direction as well, believing God will move on every situation you bring before His throne of grace. 

This week we are going to set an ambush against the enemy by praying over all those who follow our media sites. That means globally praying for your own followers on your websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, etc.   

First pray that they will come to know the Lord as their Savior. Then pray for those who need healing, comfort, deliverance from addictions, financial needs, relationships to be mended, wisdom in decision making and anything else God places on your heart. 

Together we can set an ambush against satan as we uplift one another in prayer each day.  United let us declare: 

God is our Savior

God is our Healer

God is our Deliverer

Yes, He Is!

 Every praise is to our God!

 

Note: The words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives.

                                       Every Praise by Hezekiah Walker

 

                                  Until next time, link to God's favor in prayer.

 

“I will give favor when you seek Me.”

Jesus Christ

 

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Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Gateway Bible
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Image:  Operating Room  Girl Reading Bible  Prayer Chain  Every Praise is to Our God by Hezekiah Walker  Luke 5:26  Highest Praise  Social Media Icons
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.

Three Little Words

“You’ve been a problem since my womb"… Why can’t you be more like your sister?" … "You have fat fingers"… "She’s prettier than you.” 

Words, combined into sentences that contain a few choice terms that seep into your heart and never seem to get lost over the years.

Have you ever been told something that has fashioned the way you perceive yourself for your entire life?  Words have tremendous power to turn the life in a positive or negative way, causing us to change how we think or act.  They can soften a heart or turn it into stone.

Do you think it is possible to change the way people think about themselves by saying three little words?  I do.

Welcome new friends this week from:

See if your city/state/country made the list. 

New on DFB – Maria Ellend, Lower Austria, Austria; Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles; Newcastle, NSW, Australia; Cranbrook, BC, Canada; Rome, Lazio, Italy; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Lisbon, Portugal; Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan; Windhoek, Namibia.

USA – Poinciana & Carrabelle, FL; Salem, OR; Winona, MO; Buena Vista, VA; Selmer & Madisonville, TN, Austin, TX; Lancaster, CA; Benton, KY; Blackwood, Sicklerville, Livingston & Waterford Works, NJ; Philadelphia & Pittsburgh, PA; Omaha, NE; Falconer, NY.

Thank you for your continued support and sharing Believing Our Belief on Daily Favor.  (DFB - Daily Favor Blog)

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).

Visit News from Fay the Q & A or other sections.

Needles of the Heart 

Batsto Mansion and Batsto Village

In my lifetime, I haven’t received many words of encouragements or compliments (and I’m not fishing for any), so when I do hear certain words I don’t know how to respond to them very well.  Let me take you back in time to share something special with you. 

I was on a double date with another couple from our church to visit historical Batsto Village. My date decided where we would go and all agreed on his choice.  It was a cloudy day in February, but the weather didn’t look threatening so we continued with our plans.  Batso Mansion/Village was a place that had much activity during the American Revolutionary War, and is said to have housed some famous leaders. 

After the tour we went on a picnic near Atsion Lake in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, which was about fifteen miles from Batsto. Our friends remained in the car to dine claiming it was too cold outside. Although it was a little chilly it didn’t prevent us from wandering about the property. We walked, held hands and came to a lovely secluded place to rest and eat our meal.   

Finding a soft area to sit, it didn’t take long for us to get into a conversation mostly about the future.  A few minutes later my date decided to stretch out on the ground. I gave him permission to lay his head on my lap so his hair wouldn’t get full of sand or pine needles. 

He gazed into the overcast sky and talked, and talked and talked. Boy could he talk.  I sat there (really where was I going, right) while he began to share his “true” feelings for me. 

By now I was getting the fidgets and wanted to get up and stretch my own legs. This had gotten way too serious for me; we were just dating. Before I knew it those three little words poured out of his mouth, “I love you.”   

Frankly I didn’t know what to say.  I tried to escape the situation, but he remained put.  A few minutes later the skies opened up and it began to rain.  Now you might think that this would be a good reason to skedaddle, but no, he didn’t move! 

I looked down at his wet face and watched how the rain kept bouncing off his eyes and cheeks.  Still waiting for him to get up I just sat there listening as he continued to talk.  Surely he must have realized I was getting drenched also. Perhaps he was waiting for those three little words to flow out of my mouth like the rain from the heavens, but it never happened. 

Do you know why I didn’t respond like my date had hoped?  I didn’t believe him.  Those words were like needles to the heart, and I’m not referring to the pine needles where we sat. 

Say it with ACT - ion

Hearing the words “I love you” wasn’t a welcome phrase.  In the past everyone that uttered such an emotional statement usually followed it up with an action that was despicable, selfish and ultimately appalling coming from someone who claimed they had deep feelings for me. 

By that time I already had two marriage proposals that I couldn’t take seriously, besides practically every boy I dated told me the same thing.  How could this young man think he loved me when we hadn’t even dated that much?  What was he after and what did he really want from me? 

I continued to date others and he kept sharing his feelings while we were together, over the phone or in a letter.  I repeatedly told him, “Stop it! Don’t say that.  Why and how can you possibly have those feelings.”  Ignoring me, he kept saying those three words even though I didn’t feel the same way. 

Words were put into action and slowly I began to think that maybe this boy has something different than the others.  Action Changes Things!

He showered me with gifts, never took me to McDonald’s but to a real restaurant, and actually had money to pay the bill (don’t even ask …)  This person was willing to take any blame or punishment just to be with me; although I didn’t condone this, it was something to be considered. 

Now I began talking and he listened.  We were friends, best friends who prayed, witnessed, laughed and cried together.  It would take me a long time before I could return that phrase to my “date”.  His words and actions mimicked one another displaying love from every angle.  I finally believed him, and believing allowed me to receive what was available to me all along – love. 

He Did it for Love 

How long did it take you to receive those three little words, “I love you” into your heart?  Maybe you have never heard them before or think you never will.  My friend someone has already spoken those words to you and acted on them. His name is Jesus Christ. 

Understanding human love is practically impossible and even trying to comprehend why God would love anyone is mind boggling.  Yet, God does love us and He proves His feelings are genuine every day. 

You probably figured out by now that I married that man who never stopped saying he loved me, and he still displays his affection toward me in many ways.  I’m fairly sure you would agree that gifts are always nice, but there are other things that are more rewarding than a bunch of flowers or a night out on the town.  Our married relationship calls for us to do things for one another that we would never do for others.  We reserve certain things for our relationship and hold them close to our heart all because of love.

When Jesus said yes to the Heavenly Father, He showed us that His love for us cannot be matched. 

Why would Jesus agree to die on a cross for sinners?  He did it for love; the love of the Father and the love for us.  Real love requires doing something for the one you love that no one else would do.  Saying I love you is more than words, it’s a call to action. 

If you are in a relationship that is merely words without any backup of selflessness, than true love isn’t in the equation. 

When Will You Believe? 

It took me a long time to believe that I was loved by someone, and even longer to accept the love of Christ.  I heard the words “I love you”, saw the written words and read them, but it took a call of action for me to believe what I was told. 

I had to stop asking the Lord the same question I asked my date, “God, why would you favor me with gracious mercy and want me as Your child?  Why do you love me?”  Instead of questioning what God had told us in His Word, I started believing what He said and did.  

There was never a time when God didn’t love me.  He always has and always will.  The Lord loves me today and every day.

He declared His love and never ceased to proclaim how He feels even when I didn’t say it back to Him. 

However, when I believed Jesus loved me enough to die for me on the cross, I began receiving the favor of God that is reserved only for those who trust in Him.  According to scriptures, when I believed what God had said, that was the point at which I found the Lord.  Believing resulted in my acquiring favor from God. 

“For whosoever (you, me, anyone) finds Me, finds (eternal) life, and shall (will) obtain favor of the LORD.” (Proverbs 8:35 NKJV) 

It’s time for us to stop believing the hurtful things people say to us that have shattered our way of thinking positively about ourselves.  I was asked in an interview to describe myself in three words.  It is easy to flatter oneself and I suppose in some way I did fall into a bit of vanity in that case.  

Although they describe, words aren’t what define us in the heart of God. He doesn’t love us because we’re skinny, good looking or extremely well behaved individuals.  God loves us because it’s what He is, not just what He does.  

This Week’s Challenge:

Show Me ACT-ion Love 

It’s easy to demonstrate love to those who are kind and lovely, but there is no reward in loving the lovely. 

When Christ died for us, He did it while we were still in our sin. In other words, we were stinky, unlovely, selfish and downright walking the road to hell in our iniquity.   

Time after time God shows He still loves us. He willingly forgives despite our ignoring the grace and favor He has shown.  God will never stop saying those three little words, “I love you” even if we fail to repeat it back to Him. 

Our challenge this week will ask us to do as Christ did in demonstrating love regardless if it isn’t reciprocated.  There are plenty of “challenging” people out there that we don’t want to give the time of day based on their behavior or circumstances.  However, those are the ones we need to show that there is something different about us. 

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have

 boldness in the day of judgment; because as He (Christ) is,

         so are we in this world.” (1 John 4:17 NKJV)

Until Christ returns, we are to be His ambassadors of love and work together in unity.  People are to see that we are Christians by the way we love through the Spirit of God that dwells in us.   

The Bible says as Christ was in this world, so are we.  That means we are going to say, “God loves you” until they get it.  Not through force, but through our actions that reflect God. 

Tell people about the love God has for them and do something different that will make a difference. Do something you wouldn’t ordinarily do for that “unlovely” person(s); remembering you were once in their unbelieving shoes.  Show the love of God through acts of kindness that they have never witnessed, by being bold and standing out from the rest.  

Until they believe, keep saying those three little words …

“God loves you.”

  They Will Know We Our Christians by Our Love

Until next time, find God and obtain His favor.

“I will give favor when you find Me.”

Jesus Christ

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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 Bible Gateway.
Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image:  Hope  Batsto, NJ  Asian Lake in New Jersey  Action Changes Things  Romans 5:8  Note God Loves Me
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.