Laced With Grace

I felt dissatisfied. I wanted to produce more fruit; but how?  The Lord began to stir my heart to study John 15. As I studied and meditated on this passage digging for truths on bearing more fruit, I was stopped by the word abide. I realized there is a side benefit to abiding; answered prayer.

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7

If I abide in Him, and His words abide in me (my conversations with Him – treating our prayer time together as a conversation rather than a ritualistic list), I will have answered prayers.

I don’t abide just to get my own way when I pray. I abide because I desire closeness with the Lord. Psalm 37:4 – “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

When I delight myself in Him, (while I’m abiding in Him) He gives me the desires my heart should have, then the desires of my heart are answered.

I’ve been asking my Father how I can abide even closer, what are His ways and His truths to prayer.  Here’s our conversation.

Lord, are there truths of prayer that I’ve yet to learn and need to know? I want to climb into the depths of You and learn the power of prayer, so that I am meeting You fully, totally in lovely communion. Enrich my prayer life with Your Spirit’s guidance so that I may be pleasing to you in all things.

When you pray; come to Me with the knowledge that you are standing before Me in complete oneness with Me.

Let your cleansing be complete and your mind be clear of obstacles.

This is a holy experience, and it will expand to include your entire being.

You are not merely reciting prayers, nor are you saying empty words.

When you are intimately sensitive to My closeness, your soul is awakened.

This divinely appointed state of being does not remove you from this world so you can make your home in the clouds – no, rather your entire being is made alive and aware of the world around you. You see its beauties as never before.

You see My face in the affection of your loved ones, and you long to give even more to them to make their lives richer, better.

Prayer is not just a thing you do, because My Spirit prays within you constantly.

The inner eye of the Spirit reveals My presence in all things.

I created you to share in My being.

You are loved by Me,

and in loving Me back you are what you were made to be.

I am the Vine and you are My branch.

In prayer you breathe in My breath, you are alive with My life,

and there is no prayer that will go unanswered.

Thank You, Lord for what you are teaching me through Your Words.
(Isaiah 65:24; Matthew 21:22; Hebrews 4:16; Jeremiah 33:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; John 14:23; John 15)

Your Humbly Grateful Daughter,

Marsha’s blog

I was talking/praying with a good friend this morning.  She is having problems in her marriage and was feeling angry, bitter, frustrated, “at the the end of her rope.”  I prayed for her, praying the armor of God over her and her husband.   The enemy is trying to wreak havoc in her home, trying to destroy her marriage, and steal her joy.  As I prepared for today’s devotion, I thought about my friend and my prayer and then God reminded me of this devotion I wrote last summer.  I hope you don’t mind that it is a “rerun” and my prayer is that it encourages and strengthens you!

Did you know you are in a BATTLE?  Did you know that you have a real enemy who wants to kill, steal, and destroy the things in your life?

Your family. Your marriage.  Your relationships.  Your finances.  Your health.

He loves to steal your testimony by tempting you back into patterns of sin that get a hold of you.  He enjoys destroying your witness of the power of Christ by capturing you in a gripping fear that is anything but victorious.  And, he is always there to kill your joy, bringing instead worry, doubt and anger.

Are you afraid?

Praise God, we don’t need to be!  Satan is a defeated foe.  Jesus already faced him and crushed him.  Jesus, who is in you, is greater than him.  Satan trembles at the NAME of Jesus.  You have the power through Christ to stand against the enemy.  Do NOT be afraid of him!

Are you armed and dangerous?

The Bible tells us to put on the full armor of God and STAND firm and alert. (Ephesians 6:10-17) Notice that it doesn’t tell us to FIGHT, but to stand.  God will FIGHT the battle for us.  But, we need to equip ourselves with Jesus.

First, put on the Belt of Truth.  Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…”  So, buckle Jesus firmly around you.  Picture Powerhouse Gym with  bodybuilders squatting twice their body weight.  What do they put on first before lifting any weight?  A thick leather belt that supports, stabilizes, and protects their bodies while they lift.  Jesus does exactly that for us- supports, stabilizes, and protects us as we lift the weights of the world.

My son just started playing football.  You better believe I want him to wear that helmet to protect his precious brain!  We are to put on the Helmet of Salvation, or the Jesus Helmet,  to protect our minds against impure thoughts, worry, and negative, self-defeating thoughts.  We take every thought that plops into our minds “captive.”  If it is a lie, we replace it with the Truth.

Next, put on the Breastplate of Righteousness.  Righteousness only comes through Christ, so we put Jesus on as our shield.  What does a breastplate cover?  Our hearts!  Jesus protects our hearts when we allow Him to cover us.

Walk with the Shoes of Peace on your feet.  Everywhere you go, allow Jesus, the Prince of Peace guide your steps.  When you surrender to Him with every step, He will fill you with the peace that passes all understanding!

Next, lift up your Shield of Faith.  Think “Gladiator” here!  These warriors carried shields that were huge and covered their whole bodies.  When the attack came, they would fall to the ground, allowing their whole body to be covered with the shield.  It is your faith, believing in who God is and what He can do, that EXTINGUISHES the arrows of the enemy!  It is your faith that PUTS OUT every scheme Satan uses against you.

Finally, lift up your Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  Again, Jesus is the “Word,” so lift up Jesus as your weapon!  Both the Living Word and the written Word  will cut through every lie of the enemy.  Read your Bible.  Wield your sword.  Call out to Jesus. 

Notice there isn’t armor covering your backside, so don’t run from the enemy.  Instead, stand firm, face him, covered in the protection of Jesus.  When you are feeling defeated, take your place as a victorious child of God and call on the Name of Jesus.  The battle has already been won and the victory is yours!

Father God, thank You that I am more than a conqueror  in Christ! Thank You that You are “for” me.  Thank You that You have equipped me with everything I need to stand against the enemy.  Help me to remember that the battle has already been won and that I am already victorious in Christ Jesus!  Help me to put on the armor daily.  In Christ’s mighty name we pray.  Amen.

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