Cross the Finish Line With Thanksgiving

Last Thanksgiving Day (2014), I decided it was time to get moving. I was tired of being tired.
So, I started running.
I was 46 years old and overweight.
It was not easy.
But slow and steady became my mantra.

This Thanksgiving Day, I ran my sixth 5K.
It was the hardest one yet. All hills.
I refused to walk. I wanted to run the whole way. Every hill was test of my endurance.

I have never prayed more during a run than today.
With every step, I asked God to fill me with His Holy Spirit, to give me His strength. I asked Jesus to run along side of me and cheer me on.
As the praise music from my headphones renewed my spirit, I thought about how far I’d come in one year. My transformation has been more spiritual than physical. I used to say I couldn’t do something before even trying. I’d quit before I’d even start.  God has shown me that all things are possible for those who trust in Him to get them over the hills and through the finish line.

There’s a story in the Bible (Mark 9:20-24) of a father who asked Jesus to help his son. The father used the word “if”. “Jesus, if you can help…”
Jesus replied, “If? All things are possible for those who believe.”
The father replied, “I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.”

That’s the journey I’ve been on with Jesus this last year.
“Jesus, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.”
Not just with running but in all areas of my life.
When I’m stressed, I cry out, “I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.”
When I’m in trouble, I cry out, “I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.”
When I fear the future, I cry out. “I believe. Help my overcome my unbelief.”
Jesus keeps reminding me, “Everything is possible, Yolanda, when you believe. Just keep your eyes focused on Me. I’ll see you through to the finish line.”

This Thanksgiving, maybe you’re facing a hill that seems insurmountable. Maybe you feel like quitting before you take the first step. Those are the times to press in close to Jesus. Press in as close as you can by reading His Word and by inviting Jesus to run with you through life. The Bible says we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. That means we enter into His presence by remembering who He is and what He has done for us. And when we do, here is what God promises to do.

A message from the high and towering God, who lives in Eternity, whose name is Holy:“I live in the high and holy places, but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed, and what I do is put new spirit in them, get them up and on their feet again.” Isaiah 57:15-16 (MSG)

God will put a new spirit in you. His Spirit. He’ll exchange your low and crushed spirit with His Spirit, and He’ll get you up and on your feet again. Will you take that first step towards God? He’s waiting for you to open your heart to Him so He can pour out His Spirit and fill your heart with His love. (Romans 5:5)

Happy Thanksgiving.
I pray the LORD pours out His Spirit on you wherever you are. I pray He comforts the brokenhearted. I pray His angels sustain those persecuted and imprisoned for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray He provides for those in need. I pray He appears in visions and dreams to those who are searching for Him. I pray He strengthens and renews the faith of those facing trials and tribulations. Jesus, we long for Your return! Come quickly, LORD,
Amen.
Love,
Yolanda

  

Speak No Evil

What God has said isn’t only alive and active! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His Word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. Hebrews 4:12 (CEV)

God's Word cuts right to the heart of the matter. That’s why when I read the following verse in James this morning, I said, “Ouch, LORD!”

If you think you are being religious, but can’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and everything you do is useless. Religion that pleases God the Father must be pure and spotless. You must help needy orphans and widows and not let this world make you evil. James 1:26-27 (CEV)

I can get so caught up in politics, injustice, and what I perceive as a big, black cloud of evil approaching on the horizon that my mouth runs away from me. I was literally shouting at my television the other day during a news press conference. My daughter heard me from her bedroom and wondered if mom had lost her marbles. She had.

Yesterday, I literally felt like the Apostle Peter, BEFORE his Holy Spirit transformation during Pentecost. The old Peter would spout off and say, “Not me, Jesus. I’ll never deny you.” Then he proceeded to deny Jesus 3 times. Or “Let me walk on water, Jesus.” Then he sank after taking his eyes off of Jesus and fear set in. Or he’d speak first and think later. At one point, Peter pulled Jesus aside and said, “Hey, Jesus, stop talking about dying. You're freaking me out.” (That's a paraphrase.) Jesus reprimanded Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:21-23 AMP)

A friend tried to lovingly point out my "Old Peter" behavior yesterday while I was passionately debating current world events. It didn't go well. I felt indignant thinking,“What are we supposed to do? Just roll over and let evil win?” I want to fight the good fight but I tend to go charging in like a bull in china shop. Kind of like Peter, my heart's in the right place, but I talk or act without stopping to pray for God's guidance first.

This morning when I read James 1:27, I felt like God was warning me, “Don’t let this world make you evil, Yolanda, even in the name of justice.” That is why it is so important for me to stay in God’s Word. It speaks truth, piercing my heart. It reminds me, the battle is not mine to fight. It’s God’s. I’ve read the end of The Book. I know who wins. Jesus wins and I'm on the winning side.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For He judges FAIRLY and then goes to war. His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on His head were many crowns. a name was written on Him, and only He knew what it meant. He was clothed with a white robe dipped in blood, and His title was WORD of GOD. The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed Him on white horses. From His mouth came a sharp sword (HIS WORD), and with it He struck down the nations. He Himself will rule them...And He has on HIS robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 19:11-16

God is a fair and just God. So even though I want justice to be done a certain way, just like when Peter chopped off the ear of one of the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus; God will have mercy on whom He will give mercy. Jesus healed the soldier's ear showing mercy and compassion. And just like Jesus has been merciful to me, by taking my sins on Himself, He expects me to be merciful and compassionate to others.

So my prayer today is:

Jesus, don’t let my heart be troubled. I believe and trust in You. Your Word says You are preparing a place for me and that You will come back again and take me to Yourself so that I can be with You for eternity. (John 14:1-3) You will never cast me out. (John 6:27). Forgive me for my sins that are a stumbling block for the furtherance of the Gospel. Forgive me for setting my mind on the things of man, and not on the things of God. Pour out Your Spirit on me and transform me like you transformed Peter. Help me to control my tongue. Thank you for shedding Your blood on the cross so that it covers me and makes me pure and spotless in Your sight. Give me your eyes, ears, and heart for the poor, the widows, the orphans, and the lost. Make clear Your will for my life so that I can serve You. Let all I do, say, and write be for Your glory and purposes. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Love,
Yolanda

The Power of Praying Scripture

Last night, I had a terrible nightmare. I won’t go into details. Let’s just say it was filled with persecution, death, and mayhem. Mostly mine. I woke up and my heart literally hurt in my chest because it was beating so fast. Normally, when I have a bad dream, I try to go to my “happy place” and think good thoughts so my mind will be distracted and I can go back to sleep. But last night, my heart rate would not slow down so I started praying and reciting scripture. At first, I could only think of the Our Father prayer so I started with,
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your Name. (Matthew 6:9)
I kept repeating that phrase over and over again.
Then I went on with,
For God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
I still felt unsettled and couldn't control my heart rate.

Suddenly, I remembered a scripture I’ve been memorizing with my daughter, niece and nephew. I recently decided that I wanted them to memorize scripture, and since I have them captive in my car for 20 minutes each day, I figured why not. I have made each of us spiral notebook and we memorize one scripture per week. The first scripture we memorized was Psalm 119:11

I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.

I wanted them to know how important it is to memorize scripture. I told them there may come a day when the Bible is outlawed, like in other countries. We need to treasure and store God's Word in our hearts and minds so that when trouble comes, God's Word can guide and comfort us.

Well, I guess, God wanted me not only to talk-the-talk but also walk-the-walk, because in my time of need, our second memory verse came to my rescue.

So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help. Hebrews 4:16 (CEV)

I kept praying this scripture over and over in my mind and visualizing myself walking bravely to the throne of my Father in heaven where He treats me with undeserved kindness and helps me. My heartbeat slowed, the fear dissipated, and the nightmare ended. I began to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ around the world whose nightmare of persecution, torture, imprisonment has not ended. Who have been denied a Bible in their cells. I prayed that God would send angels to minister to them. That scripture would come back to their minds and hearts to comfort them.

We must never take our Bibles for granted. We must treasure God's Word and hide it in our hearts while there is time and we are still free to do so.

Praying scripture is powerful. We are agreeing with God's Word and He releases His power on our behalf. When Jesus was being tormented by the devil in the desert, Jesus used the power of scripture to get rid of the devil. Jesus was modeling for us how to use God’s Word as a spiritual weapon against the enemy. That is why the devil is so bent on removing the Bible from our world and from our hands. There is victory in God’s Word and the devil must flee when God’s Word is spoken against him.

So, I don’t know about you but I’m going to fill up my notebook and my heart with scripture so that I am spiritually ready, with God's sword in hand, for the battle coming.

Love,
Yolanda

PS: Recently, some acquaintances and friends have been diagnosed with serious illnesses and I wanted to pray scripture over them. I wrote this scripture prayer to recite on their behalf. Feel free to pray this prayer for healing over yourself or personalize it by inserting the name of someone else. 

Healing Prayer
Jesus, you are the Great Physician. (Mark 2:17; John 5:1-9)
You are the Lord who heals. (Exodus 15:26)
By Your stripes we have been healed. (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24)
You forgive all our sins and heal all our diseases. You redeem us from death and crown us with love and tender mercies. You fill our life will all good things. You renew our youth. (Psalm 103:3-4)
You will deliver us, because we hold fast to You in love; You will protect us, because we know Your name. When we call to You, You will answer us; You will be with us in trouble; You will rescue us and honor us. With long life, You will satisfy us and show us Your saving power. (Psalm 91:14-16)
Jesus, You said, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.” (Matthew 21:21-22)
Jesus, through the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Name, I pray for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.
Because of the blood of Jesus Christ, who has cleansed me of all my sins, I come bravely before the throne of my merciful God, who treats me with undeserved kindness and helps me in my time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
Jesus, in the multitude of my anxieties, comfort my soul. (Psalm 94:19)
I’m crying out in trouble, save me from my distress. Send out Your word and heal me, snatching me from the door of death. (Psalm 107:19-20)
O LORD my God, I’m crying out for help. Restore my health. (Psalm 30:2)
Let those who fear the Lord NOW say, “His mercy endures forever!”
I will not die; instead, I will live to tell what the LORD has done. (Psalm 118:4; 17)
Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.
Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me.
Please hurry, LORD, and answer my prayer. Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life.
(Psalm 143:7-8)
In Jesus Name, Amen.