My Time at the Beach
It has been my week long desire to write to you all about the wonderful women's retreat that I attended last weekend in Nag's Head, North Carolina. I'm kicking myself for not taking my digital camera.
Before I share with you what God shared with me through all those wonderful ladies, I have to say that I would have shared this with you sooner but between Satan's attacks and my struggle with PMS I am only now surfacing from the battle. I want you to know for those who I have been blessed by your prayers that they were hard at work. I won't go into all the details, but needless to say, I was reminded of how important it is to take care of my body and my well being. I very much lack the discipline to do the exercise and eat the right foods among other things. Thank you for your prayers.
So! about prayer! Wow, this past weekend was so so so much fun! I was able to spend some time talking with and getting to know women of all ages and places in life. They were such a God given gift to me. I have carried with me all week those ladies I shared a room with and those who shared my table during the event. I am so encouraged by those wise ladies as they continue to show love, compassion and forgiveness. Some of those stories they told could have planted bitterness in their souls, but no way no how, they chose to forgive and love. I am truly humbled as I assess my own heart and find sprouts of some very non-loving things growing in my heart. My sisters-in-Christ have made such wonderful gardeners getting those weeds of bitterness, unforgivness, envy, jealousy, doubt, and selfishness.
Our speaker, Joy Dunlap is such an energetic and loving woman. She spoke in such a way that made clear God's plan for us. I love her analogies. She shared that as we are going on this journey towards heaven, to assess what we are caring along with us in our suite cases. The thing that impacted me the most and I have carried it as a life raft this week is tools for prayer. She suggested instead of just praying "Lord, cure Sally of cancer," or "Give us a safe trip to Grandma's," to add a "so that" on to them. "Lord, cure Sally of cancer so that you can continue to use her strong compassionate spirit to help others through their own struggles with cancer." "Give my family a safe trip to Grandma's that my family can take the drive time as an opportunity to connect and grow closer away from our busy lives and before we enter into the fun but busy time with extended family." The thing I love about this is that it really challenges me to pray for those I'm praying for. I have to really put thought into it. It's like offering some really well seasoned prayers instead of "fast food". I've also heard them called drive by prayers. People are just so creative with their names of things.:) It helps me especially praying for those I don't particularly want to pray for. It helps me connect into the love God has for that person.
Well, Joy gave us some verses of "so that" prayers in the Bible and I want to share with you the prayer God has given me to pray for those I am blessedly privileged to intercede for.
Father God,
How I long for ______ with the affection of Christ Jesus. My prayer is for ____ that her/his love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that _____ may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Christ Jesus to the glory and praise of You Father God.
I pray _____ may live a life worthy of You Lord and please You in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of You, being strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might so that ____ may have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified ____ to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For You have rescued us from dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son You love, in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins.
I pray for ____ without ceasing that You may count ____ worthy of his/her calling, and that by Your power You may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by ____ faith. I pray this so that the name of You Lord, the great I Am, the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in ____ and ____ in You according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray these scriptures in the name of Jesus. I claim these versus you have given me and I hand them back to You wrapped around _____ like a robe. I lay ____ wrapped in Your Word at Your feet at the foot of Your throne. You are the maker of the earth, sky, seas and heaven. Praise be Yours Father God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are Yours. You change times and seasons, set up kings and depose them. You give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. You reveal deep and hidden things; You know what lies in darkness and light dwells in You. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers, God of Israel. You have given me wisdom and through me Your power flows.
I am Your vessel Lord. LORD my Lord. In Your Word, Paul says, "...pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Lord, this is my prayer in Jesus' name I pray for ____. Praise and glory is Yours. Amen
Phillippians 1:8-12
Collosians 1:9-14
2 Thess. 1:11-12
Daniel 2:20-23
Ephesians 6:18
I am so humbled as I go back and read what I have just written. I count myself a servent and a daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords. I am finding new blessings as I serve those whom God loves. I count myself as your servant in prayer. I pray not because I judge but because I know that for which I pray for, for is mine also mine. I pray against Satan's attacks because he attacks me. I pray against sin because I am a sinner.
Before I share with you what God shared with me through all those wonderful ladies, I have to say that I would have shared this with you sooner but between Satan's attacks and my struggle with PMS I am only now surfacing from the battle. I want you to know for those who I have been blessed by your prayers that they were hard at work. I won't go into all the details, but needless to say, I was reminded of how important it is to take care of my body and my well being. I very much lack the discipline to do the exercise and eat the right foods among other things. Thank you for your prayers.
So! about prayer! Wow, this past weekend was so so so much fun! I was able to spend some time talking with and getting to know women of all ages and places in life. They were such a God given gift to me. I have carried with me all week those ladies I shared a room with and those who shared my table during the event. I am so encouraged by those wise ladies as they continue to show love, compassion and forgiveness. Some of those stories they told could have planted bitterness in their souls, but no way no how, they chose to forgive and love. I am truly humbled as I assess my own heart and find sprouts of some very non-loving things growing in my heart. My sisters-in-Christ have made such wonderful gardeners getting those weeds of bitterness, unforgivness, envy, jealousy, doubt, and selfishness.
Our speaker, Joy Dunlap is such an energetic and loving woman. She spoke in such a way that made clear God's plan for us. I love her analogies. She shared that as we are going on this journey towards heaven, to assess what we are caring along with us in our suite cases. The thing that impacted me the most and I have carried it as a life raft this week is tools for prayer. She suggested instead of just praying "Lord, cure Sally of cancer," or "Give us a safe trip to Grandma's," to add a "so that" on to them. "Lord, cure Sally of cancer so that you can continue to use her strong compassionate spirit to help others through their own struggles with cancer." "Give my family a safe trip to Grandma's that my family can take the drive time as an opportunity to connect and grow closer away from our busy lives and before we enter into the fun but busy time with extended family." The thing I love about this is that it really challenges me to pray for those I'm praying for. I have to really put thought into it. It's like offering some really well seasoned prayers instead of "fast food". I've also heard them called drive by prayers. People are just so creative with their names of things.:) It helps me especially praying for those I don't particularly want to pray for. It helps me connect into the love God has for that person.
Well, Joy gave us some verses of "so that" prayers in the Bible and I want to share with you the prayer God has given me to pray for those I am blessedly privileged to intercede for.
Father God,
How I long for ______ with the affection of Christ Jesus. My prayer is for ____ that her/his love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that _____ may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Christ Jesus to the glory and praise of You Father God.
I pray _____ may live a life worthy of You Lord and please You in every way; bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of You, being strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might so that ____ may have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified ____ to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For You have rescued us from dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son You love, in whom we have redemption the forgiveness of sins.
I pray for ____ without ceasing that You may count ____ worthy of his/her calling, and that by Your power You may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by ____ faith. I pray this so that the name of You Lord, the great I Am, the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in ____ and ____ in You according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I pray these scriptures in the name of Jesus. I claim these versus you have given me and I hand them back to You wrapped around _____ like a robe. I lay ____ wrapped in Your Word at Your feet at the foot of Your throne. You are the maker of the earth, sky, seas and heaven. Praise be Yours Father God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are Yours. You change times and seasons, set up kings and depose them. You give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. You reveal deep and hidden things; You know what lies in darkness and light dwells in You. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers, God of Israel. You have given me wisdom and through me Your power flows.
I am Your vessel Lord. LORD my Lord. In Your Word, Paul says, "...pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Lord, this is my prayer in Jesus' name I pray for ____. Praise and glory is Yours. Amen
Phillippians 1:8-12
Collosians 1:9-14
2 Thess. 1:11-12
Daniel 2:20-23
Ephesians 6:18
I am so humbled as I go back and read what I have just written. I count myself a servent and a daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords. I am finding new blessings as I serve those whom God loves. I count myself as your servant in prayer. I pray not because I judge but because I know that for which I pray for, for is mine also mine. I pray against Satan's attacks because he attacks me. I pray against sin because I am a sinner.
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