(Note: No blog tomorrow as I will be having some test very early. Spend two days in this very important message from God! and pray like crazy!)

Good Morning Good News Bringing, Sent, Revivalists! Oh that is you and us! PTL! Yesterday God spoke to us as we celebrated all He has been doing and we began praying into what's next. He has great plans for you and us that are custom made for such a time as this and coming alive as we trust, obey and step into who we are in Christ and start doing what He made us to do. PTL! I mean really praise God for all He is doing and has plans to do! We are on our way to becoming His dynamic movement bringing revival and being used to transform our neighborhoods through the love of Christ. AMEN! So, what's your part? Check out the attachment at the bottom, or if you have one in your hand from yesterday, pray through this handout about becoming God's Good News Delivery Co. Man, the world is in need of Jesus and some Good news that He has given you to bring! What's your part? Pray about that and commit to be about what you are created to become and do! Go live and love more in '24! Amen! 

Maybe you noticed yesterday how God showed up and spoke during our worship service? He spoke to our hearts through what some of us shared. Did you hear Him? He pronounced some prophesies over some of us too. The Holy Spirit brought His Word alive during my message time as I only read a few paragraphs and then He started speaking our purposes over us, encouraging us, and stirring some ideas and vision plans. I love when God does this and His presence becomes very real! Check out the Dave Butts blog about revival attached to the handout. What's God saying to you? What will you do about it? We need to pray earnestly for revival and for the harvest and God's plans for us to come to life. We need to be praying! Some of you are called to prayer as your part in His Good News Delivery Co. I am feeling nudged to have a prayer service or three for revival too. Would you attend? Maybe we could do it on zoom too? BUT we need to start praying earnestly, sharing what we are hearing so our prayers can be more informed and so we can start processing and doing what God is revealing. And we need to keep praising and celebrating! God often shares bits and pieces with several people. He may also be forming up some smaller prayer groups that He reveals pieces to to pray and then maybe even go do something. We are sent to bring the Good News and transform neighborhoods with God's love, hope and help! Who is God revealing to you that needs some Good News? What is that good news He wants you to bring to their chaos? What will you do about it? begin with prayer and then team up with some others to go or to pray for and cover you as you go as God's vessel to change a life. He has great plans for you and for someone He is bringing to mind right now!

In case you think I be making things up as I go, check out all our devotionals and blogs for today! God clearly is speaking a word to us today and He does have some great plans for us to discover and pursue and earnestly pray into! He even has those custom made things for you for such a time as this being revealed. PTL! What's He saying to you? How does He want you to pray? Will you pray, serve, go, as you are and as His vessel for such a time as this? That's the question of the year! He does have great plans for you and for some others through you! Seek first the Kingdom of God and don't lean on your own thinking--process with some others too and go live and love more like Jesus! Amen! And remember that Jesus' easy yoke for you is easy because you are made, equipped and empowered to do it for such a time as this! 

So? What's for today and what's next Lord? Lead us! Come Father! Revive us! Send us as Your revivalists that bring Good News to those You are preparing. Come! Fill us! Lead us! Use us for Your glory! Bring revival and may it begin in and through me/us! Your Kingdom come and will be done! Amen!

I can't wait to see what God has planned for us and what He will do in and through each of you! I know He has some really great things ahead that begin today as we pray, seek, keep knocking and listen! And then as we process, plan and go, He will bring revival and expand our territory! Amen! I'm praying for you right now! And I'm just worshiping and praising God for encouraging us, His easy yoke, and preparing us to complete our missions! Amen! Yes rejoice!

Our Daily Bread:

Charles Stanley:

Upper Room: Refreshed

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and God will say, “I’m here.” - Isaiah 58:9 (CEB)

I was attempting to process a document for the senior center where I volunteer, but the sender wanted an electronic signature. On a good day I can master email, but I soon concluded that the e-signature wasn’t going to happen.

I have had similar frustrations with computer passwords, weak cell phone signals, dropped calls, car clocks that don’t want to be reset, and smart televisions that are clearly smarter than me.

What a blessing it is, I thought, that our Lord offers frustration-free, two-way communication 24 hours a day, seven days a week! The lines are always open, and no password is required. A simple prayer uttered during a busy day never results in an error message.

I realize the value and efficiency of the latest technology, but I’m far more comfortable with low-tech devices. I also prefer the simple practices of prayer, meditation, and communing with nature. While modern technology can at times leave me feeling exhausted, a walk and talk with the Holy One on a forest path has never failed to leave me feeling refreshed and recommitted to following Christ by loving others.

TODAY'S PRAYER

O Lord, thank you for allowing us unlimited access to your peace and mercy, even in this busy, sometimes confusing world. Amen.

The Word for You Today:

Harvest Blogs:

July 8 - Fulfilling God’s Mission There is no mystery about our mission. Whether we realize it or not, engage in it or not, we have one mission, for which Paul requested prayer.   “Pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make know with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19-20).   Prayer is not merely about getting a few things for yourself or simply being helped when we are in trouble. It’s about advancing the kingdom of God! It is God’s weapon to help invade Enemy territory and snatch people from the jaws of Satan who has come to “steal, kill, and destroy.”   It is telling that almost every prayer Paul requested from others was for boldness to proclaim the gospel. Not for health, wealth, or prosperity. Not even for safety. Paul asked them to pray that he would open his mouth and boldly proclaim the gospel. He needed their prayers for mission-driven courage.   There are millions of people who are enslaved to the Enemy. We have the singular message that can release them from his clutches. They cannot be delivered unless we pierce through the Enemy lines and get the life-saving message to them. And prayer is the power that makes all of this work!   “Up in a little town in Maine, things were pretty dead some years ago. The churches were not accomplishing anything. There were a few Godly men in the churches, and they said: 'Here we are, only uneducated laymen; but something must be done in this town. Let us form a praying band. We will all center our prayers on one man. Who shall it be?'    They picked out one of the hardest men in town and centered all their prayers upon him. In a week, he was converted. They centered their prayers upon the next hardest man in town, and soon he was converted. Then they took up another and another, until within a year, over two hundred people were brought to God, and the fire spread out into all the surrounding country. Definite prayer for those in the prison house of sin is the need of the hour.”   When do lost people need to hear the gospel? All the time, every day. When do Christians need boldness to share the gospel? All the time, every day. When should we be praying for the fulfillment of God’s mission through us? All the time, every day.   Majestic Father, I confess my weakness and fear to boldly confess the gospel of Jesus Christ! There are so many people bent on heading to hell in my family, my city, my church, my nation and beyond. Give me boldness to share what You have done for me with those who desperately need to hear not just some good news, but the best news of all! ---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org. Prayer Points Praise God as the one who again has supplied you with all you have needed this week. Thank him for putting some of his resources into your care. Confess any waste or mismanagement of those resources this week. Commit yourself to sharing with God’s people who are in need (Rom. 12:13). Ask God to bring to mind the name of someone with whom he would have you share by showing hospitality (12:13). Pray that your children and those of your friends learn principles of Christian stewardship from an early age. Ask God to make you an excellent example for them. Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here.

Good Morning Powerful Intercessors, Prayer Warriors, and Prayer Apprentices! The earnest prayers of the righteous person are powerful and effective! Amen! And we are righteous because of our faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross. PTL! So that means we can be powerful prayers. These blogs began as an attempt to trach us to pray, inform our prayers, remind us to journal and share all God is doing in response to our prayers. We'll do that soon in church as we celebrate all God has been doing. Check out Harvest Prayer's blog below for more teaching on prayer. Remember that Sarah and I and Mike and all our leaders covet your prayers! Thanks for Praying!

Our Words matter too. Start pronouncing blessings instead of curses. Start pronouncing life over things that are dead or dying. Choose your words well. Often when someone asks how I am doing, trying to be funny, I say I'm crazy. Now that explains a lot. But I need to stop pronouncing that! I do not want to go crazy or pronounce dementia over myself. I should say I'm very blessed. That would lead to further conversations and pronounce blessing over myself too. What are you pronouncing? Declaring? Pronounce life and blessings! Check out The Word for you today about this and prepare to start pronounce blessings and bringing God's will to life through your words and prayers. See ya soon!

Harvest:

July 7 - Seeking God for Others What are some ways to develop your own personal ministry of intercession? Pick a few things outside your own needs for which to begin interceding. Start with areas or people that you feel some passion about. Perhaps it is your children or spouse, maybe your church or pastor, maybe the salvation of a neighbor or coworker. Once focused on the issues you feel led to pray about, begin seeking God as to how to pray for them. Do some fact-finding, if appropriate. If you are praying for your church or pastor, ask for requests. Where do they think they need prayer? Ask God for specific Scriptures to pray. Do whatever works best for you to keep track. Maybe you want to keep a list in your Bible. Or, perhaps keep a journal where you can write down what you are praying for, what God is saying to you about that issue/person, and when the prayers were answered. Lord God, I don’t always know the best way to pray for some of the people and situations in my life – but I know YOU do! Please help me to be a good listener so You can teach me and show me what is on Your heart for people and situations. I want my prayers to align with Your perfect will. Show me scriptures that will bear fruit in lives, change circumstances, and draw people into Your kingdom! Help me to keep track of what You do so that I can give You thanks as You answer! Then I can share Your goodness and faithfulness with others! Thank You Lord, for being willing to hear and respond to me when I seek You. --Adapted from The Power of Personal Prayer (Learning to Pray with Faith and Purpose) by Jonathan Graf. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.

TWFYT:

Good Morning Praying, Faithful, Friends of God! Jesus said we are no longer enemies of God and He taught us how to pray. PTL! Through our free gift of faith that we received from God, we find ourselves becoming more connected to Him, more faithful and trusting and obedient and really wanting to work at becoming more like Jesus. As His friends, He helps us, teaches us, molds us and leads us to His best. What joy we know in Christ! -These seem to be the theme threading through our devotionals for today (below). I'm going to let you sit at His feet and chat today as you spend time with Him through the devos. What's God saying to you?

We have much to celebrate and some things to keep working on. We also have some great things to discover yet in our journey to Christlikeness and for growing His Church. What's your custom part in all of that? Ask Him and for what He wants you to do next. Then do it! Tomorrow we will celebrate some of the great stories we have of God's faithfulness, share some of the dreams and visions He's given us to move forward and pray into His plans earnestly. Start with these devos and then intercede for tomorrow for His good works to be celebrated, His plans to come to life, His presence to overwhelm us and for His Kingdom to come and will to be known and done. Thanks!

Mediate on the prayer Jesus taught us as well: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come and will be done on earth as in heaven, Provide for all our needs today. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Forgive us our sins and help is to forgive and love as we have been forgiven and loved. May we live and love like You more in '24. For we want to honor You because You alone are worthy and Yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory. Amen! Be glorified as You lead us Lord. Amen!

UR: To Know God

“He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord. - Jeremiah 22:16 (NIV)

As a teenager, I was often asked, “How is your relationship with God?” I was unsure how to respond because I could not hear the voice of God as it seemed others in the church could. Could I sincerely say that I knew God?

I prayed and asked God to speak to my heart.

The more I prayed and studied scripture, the more God worked in my heart. God did not speak to me as often as I wanted, but God did not leave me without an answer.

In Jeremiah 22:16, the prophet tells us what it means to know God: to do what is right and just and to defend the cause of the poor and needy. And Jesus rebuked the Pharisees saying, “You have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matt. 23:23). Live and work for truth, justice, goodness, but do not forget prayer and the study of scripture. Then, without a doubt you will be able to say, “I know God!”

TODAY'S PRAYER

Thank you, Lord, for sending answers to our prayers that change our thinking and move us toward a fuller knowledge of who you are and how you call us to live. Amen.Harvest blogs:

July 6 - Inviting God In This week and this year each of us will face many different experiences. Problems will arise, burdens will come. Decisions will need to be made and many are life-altering. You might be facing some today. If not today, then soon. What will we do? If we are serious followers of Jesus, we know we must pray, because only prayer brings God into the middle of our circumstances. God has created us in His image. As such, we have a certain level of control. We can decide to do things without God, or prayerfully invite Him in. If we try to handle life alone, we will quickly discover that our mere humanity will fail us. We all want to pray effectively. No one desires to lift some flimsy, selfish prayer that accomplishes little, but the "effective, fervent prayer" that “accomplishes much," of which James 5:16 speaks. Jesus, as always, gives us the answer for effective prayer. He models for us the perfect prayer to pray in any situation—the prayer that is always rewarded: "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” (John 12:27-28, emphasis mine) Lord Jesus, my prayer life has fallen woefully short of Your example as You yielded Yourself to the will of the Father in the garden. Your word says that when I am weak, that is when You are the strongest in my life. Please look on the situation I am in, the people I am praying for, and all that I should be bringing to You in prayer that I have decided I have the right to fix myself. Remind me that You, the Almighty God, are on the other end of my prayer, seated on the throne of heaven, and that You alone have the authority to dwell in that place. It is not about seeking my own solution or answer, but Yours. Father, help me to see that You alone are to be glorified in the midst of my prayers! ---Adapted from Prayer with No Intermission by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org. Prayer Points Praise God as the one who will soon crush Satan under your feet (Rom. 16:20). Thank him for revealing the mysteries of his salvation to you (16:25-27). Asking God to show you your sin, confess any ways in which you have been involved in causing divisions in Christ’s people or have put up obstacles that impeded the spread of his Word (16:17-18). Commit yourself to being “wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil” (16:19). Pray for workers to go into the harvest fields of the world. Ask God to prompt his people to abundant contributions of finances, prayer, and encouragement to send these missionaries. Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here.

ODB:

CS:

TWFYT:

Thank God I'm Forgiven! PTL! Hallelujah! AMEN! How often do you question this? STOP! If you belong to Christ (You have asked Him to come live in you, forgive you, change you--You belong to God. PERIOD!) You were one way, came to Him, are forgiven, and now working on becoming more like Him, and now a new way and growing into your new nature as you shed the old more and more. PTL! TGIF! All of this ties to our devotionals below. Check them out prayerfully and prepare for the day God has planned for you. Rejoice!

Good Morning Transformed, Bold, Disciples and Apostles! Well this is probably part of the becoming process as you work on becoming more like Jesus and grow in these things. That's the perfect place to be as you humble yourself, die to self, take up cross and follow Jesus daily. Have you earnestly asked God to examine your life, ways and choices and thin out the junk and hindrances? We are a work in process, and prayerfully, progress. Tis the season to be weeding our gardens and harvesting some fruit, veggies and flowers. I've been doing tons of weeding lately physically and spiritually. How about you? I'm anxiously awaiting the promised good fruit from my efforts. What needs some weeding in your life? What are you doing about it? Yesterday a dear friend and I pondered this as we are both looking at what the last working years of our lives should look like and how to shed the good and better things for God's best. There's some weeding that needs to happen for the best fruit God has planned for us as we trust and follow Him. Jesus' modeled healthy rhythm of pruning, abiding, preparing and then good fruit production (the semi-circle) came to mind and the reminder of working from rest and pruning, abiding then fruit came to mind. What might God be stirring you to work on? God has some really good plans for you or He would have called you home. They are custom made for you for whatever season you are in. Focus in on those, shed the peripheral things that are ok but not His best. I think as we age we get better at this out of necessity and the new reality that we really cannot do it all or do all the things we used to. We learn to travel light and focus on the most important things. I wish I had learned and applied this earlier in life! BUT GOD is gracious and as we focus on Him, He helps us to shed the old and step into the new more earnestly. PTL! What are you focused on as you enter the last leg of the race set before you? What will you do about that? As I am learning this, God keeps stirring me to disciple and help others learn all this sooner in life and to choose God's best over self. I often think about how different my life would be had I learned and embraced and chose to live this way earlier in life. Who might God be bringing to your mind to mentor in this? Start praying for them and opportunities and boldness to go share in love and disciple well. Soon our building will be ready to accommodate small groups of disciple makers year round to gather in small discipleship groups. Pray into that and how may want to use you and who is drawing to join Him and us in this. Hone in on His best and pursue the very best and lasting fruit like Jesus, disciples and apostles. Amen! It only take mustard seed size faith to produce amazing fruit! PTL!

Check out our devotionals below and how they all tie to this. There is a thread. Do you see it? What's God saying to you today? Who are you processing and planning with? Who is God calling you to invite in? What will you focus in on and do? Daylights burning! Pray, Receive, Focus, Process, plan, GO! You are custom made for such a time as this! Great fruit is ripening! Can you taste it? Check out the Harvest Blog at the bottom because some of you will need to work on this and at turning off the noise, releasing anxiety to God and to obey by praying for our leaders, putting the country and world in His hands in prayer and refocusing on the things that He has for you to change the world one soul at a time. help us Lord! Amen!

ODB:

Upper Room: Prayer Changes Us

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

Years ago, an assistant pastor of the church to which I belonged at that time spoke to me in such angry tones that I wanted to change churches. However, since I was in charge of a special ministry in that church with people depending on me, I stayed.

The last thing I wanted to do was pray for that pastor, but I did. At first, my prayers were not charitable. However, as time went on, I began to pray certain Bible verses for him. Over time, our interactions became more friendly. Six years after the initial incident, at the farewell reception that the church held for him and his wife before they moved to another state, that pastor hugged me and said he appreciated my devotion to ministry.

From that situation I learned not to take it so seriously when someone offends me; the circumstances can, and probably will, change. And I discovered that it is difficult to continue to feel angry toward someone for whom I am praying. Our criticism of others often will not change anything, but our prayers certainly will.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Gracious Lord, thank you for the way prayer changes us and changes others. Give us the courage to keep praying in difficult times. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

CS:

TWFYT:

Harvest Blogs:

July 5 - Honor Those Who Govern  Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:17)  These four commands of Scripture will revolutionize our lives if both understood and obeyed. Honor everyone. Honor means to esteem, value at a price, or reverence. Biblically it is considering others as more important than ourselves. Love your brothers and sisters. This is seeking the highest good of others through Christ. Fear God. Stand in holy awe of our God. Honor the emperor. This is the greatest challenge of them all and seems counterintuitive to our normal way of thinking. Reverence your leaders, your president, mayor, or governor as someone appointed by God and pray for their success in governing wisely.  Father, today we have lost our sense of honor. At this moment I begin to honor you, reverence you, and esteem you above all. I esteem and submit to your perfect Word, even when I do not fully understand it. Enable me and your people to honor everyone. Forgive me now for the specific ways I have dishonored others in word and deed. Empower me to love my brothers and sisters in Christ. Give me specific ways to both treasure them and practical ways to serve them in this season. I cry out today for holy fear of God to be brought back to your church. Teach us to trust you with all our hearts and to lean not on our own understanding. May the awe of you and your name take root in your people so we once again will be known as those who fear you. You know that we live in a season when dishonor is far more common than honor. To honor those who lead us as president, mayor, and governor seems insincere and tainted with evil. Forgive me and forgive us for vilifying those you’ve placed in office and those who are running for office. Give us the gift of honor, so we can learn to esteem even those with whom we disagree by displaying your love and grace towards them in word and deed. Right that which is wrong in me, in my family, community, and city. Display honor and grace through my life and choices today. --Adapted from Praying God’s Word Over Your City: 40 Days of Prayer for A Transformed Community by Trey and Mary Anne Kent. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Prayer Points Praise God for the depth of the riches of his wisdom and knowledge (Rom.11:33). Give thanks that “from him and through him and to him are all things” (11:36). Confess times of thinking that God owes you favors or explanations (11:35). Commit yourself to thinking deeply about God until you come to the end of your ability to understand. Ask God to help you reach that point with wonder and amazement rather than doubt or cynicism (11:33-36). Pray that God will help all believers to be students of his ways with eyes to see and minds to understand more of his caring control. Ask that God’s kingdom will soon come in fullness. Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here.

Good Morning Free in Christ, Dependent upon God, Transformed, World Changers! PTL! That is what we are growing to become as a Body and individually! Today we celebrate those who stood for, fought for and gave their all for--our freedom from tyranny and liberty! This nation was birthed and built upon God's good ways of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I think that is reflected from Solomon's conclusion to Ecclesiastes, "The best life, God's best for us, is to love God with all our hearts and enjoy life in Him." (my paraphrase). For us today, that's learning to live and love more like Jesus and doing more of what we are created and gathered to do for such a time as this. Today we celebrate our independence as a nation and also pray for and remember those fighting for our freedoms here and around the world. And we thank God for our freedom in Christ, worship Him, and seek His will and plans for us to transform this nation through leading those around us to the love, life, and liberty found only in Christ. May God bless America and America bless God again! And may He continue to bless and lead us to become world changers of Christ! Amen! Check out the Harvest Blogs below for more on praying into all of this that overflows to action.

The Word for You Today reminds me of the bold sacrifices of those who founded this nation and those throughout history that lived, breathed and fought for God's Kingdom to advance. We are reminded in Joshua that we get to chose Kingdom life and to be bold and courageous. What are you choosing? Who are you choosing? We are also reminded that the battle is the Lord's and He has already decreed and won the victory. Turn off all the noise and chaos and hatred being spewed all around and chose God, Love and bold faith to stand firm in and for Christ. Keep fighting on your knees and through your choices and actions for His Kingdom to advance and His will to be done. We are in God's hands as Charles Stanley reminds us today. He is the King of the Universe and Lord of our lives in Christ. Amen! He created us and placed us here for such a time as this. PTL! So what's your role in His Kingdom and your part in helping us to advance it? Pray into that and let us choose to be about our Father's business together! We are sent to change the world one soul at a time! That comes about as we die to self and live this life as if Christ is all that matters. Check out the Upper Room that reminds us of our mission to transform by being love and living and loving like Jesus. Let us don His easy yoke and go love well and allow God to use that to transform this nation and advance His Kingdom one soul at a time! AMEN! 

COME! Fill us! Prepare us! Cloak us in Your armor as we don the easy yoke and go love as we are created to do for such a time as this! Thank You for our freedoms and for placing us here! May we be about your business and live and love more earnestly like Jesus. Unite and bless your people to go bless this nation and may this nation bless You again! Yes Come! Your will be done and use us! And Father, please bless and protect those fighting for our freedoms here and around the world. Provide for their needs and protect them and their families. Brings Your shalom. Bless our wounded warriors too and provided for their needs. Raise up Your revival army as we humble ourselves, repent of our wicked ways and pray. Heal our land and use us well! The battle is Yours and already won! Thank You! All for Your glory Lord! Your Army in One and in His name we ask! Amen!

Harvest Blogs:

Happy 4th of July from Harvest Prayer and OneCry! July 4 - Freedom to Pursue the Heart of God And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. (Acts 19:8) When you consider the inalienable rights identified in the Declaration of Independence—gifts given to us by God—you see that “liberty” comes right after “life.” To truly understand what that liberty is and why it must again be declared and defended in our nation, we need to start with a very specific liberty—religious liberty. Why? Because it is truly our first freedom.  Do you recall the story of the Pilgrims? They hold a special place in our hearts as models for setting aside time to give thanks to God our provider and sustainer. But they also influenced the founding spirit of our nascent nation with their commitment to liberty. The Pilgrims famously arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620 after fleeing persecution for their faith in Europe. Once on this side of the Atlantic, they proceeded to establish the Mayflower Compact— a covenant made expressly before God, and which upheld religious toleration.  Wave after wave of settlers came here and embraced the Pilgrims’ desire to freely pursue faith and freedom, and this became a core element of America’s DNA. In fact, religious liberty became so foundational to the framework of our nation that it was actually incorporated as the very first freedom designated for protection in the Bill of Rights. Now, our nation’s Founders didn’t come up with this idea on their own. It is based on ideals from the Bible. We know all people have dignity as individuals made in the image of God, and we quickly see in the early chapters of Genesis that part of that dignity includes a freedom to choose right from wrong. In the New Testament, too, we find that Jesus does not force decisions on His hearers and that gospel missions are based on persuasion, not coercion. Ultimately, robust faith requires every one of us to choose for ourselves whom we will serve.  We must focus our intercessory attention on this first freedom— to freely pursue God’s heart—for without it we are lost as a nation. May Americans never falter in cherishing the freedom to choose Christ and to worship Him freely. May we be a people of true and robust faith. Lord God Almighty, thank You for the spiritual seeds of thanksgiving, faith, and freedom that the Pilgrims sowed in our land. Please stretch me, and every other believer who wants to see America remain a beacon of light for religious liberty in our world, towards a deeper level of intercession than we have ever known! Gather Your people and Your Church together to ask that each person in this nation will cherish our liberty to seek and honor You freely. May hearts in our land turn fully to You, Lord Jesus, and may we choose to serve You wholeheartedly! --Adapted from We Declare: 31 Days of Intercession for America by David Kubal. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Prayer Points Praise God verbally, saying, “Jesus is Lord” (Rom. 10:9). Thank Christ for fulfilling God’s law for you and granting you his righteousness (10:4). Confess any attempts you are still making to earn righteousness and favor with God. Commit to a lifestyle of confessing the lordship of Jesus. Ask God to remove any lingering distrust (10:11). Pray for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done on your part of the earth as it is in heaven. Ask that the lordship of Christ, which we confess verbally, will be applied in just and righteous actions. Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount. Connection (Devotions for Everyday Life) © 2024 is a free devotional published daily by Harvest Prayer Ministries. Subscribe here.

TWFYT:

Charles Stanley:

Upper Room; Love Your Neighbor

[The expert in the law] answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” - Luke 10:27 (NIV)

I moved from Moscow to North Carolina to live with my daughter and son-in-law. Since they worked many hours, I often stayed at home alone. Three months after moving I didn’t have any new friends because I didn’t speak English. Missing my extended family and church community in Russia, I was depressed.

Then on my morning walk one day, I met a neighbor named Nancy whose heart is full of love for those in need. Even though my English was limited, Nancy showed interest in me. She called my daughter, and with Nancy’s encouragement, my daughter enrolled me in an English course. Nancy became a good Samaritan to me, offering friendship, support, transportation to church, and help with English.

The Bible teaches us to love and care for those who suffer as we would care for ourselves. Suffering is not always easy to spot, and it comes in many forms. But the Holy Spirit guides us as we look for ways to care for others. Loving your neighbor includes acknowledging those in need and caring for them with love.

TODAY'S PRAYER

God of love, help us to acknowledge and care for others as you care for us. Amen.

See Sarah's prayer blog below. Note the girl who passed at the races last night was only 34. I knew her and talked about God at times with her. Pray for Kayla's family.

Good Morning Training, Bold, Disciple Makers! That is us and we are working at that More in '24. Check out The Word for You Today and Charles Stanley devos below that tie to this. We are training and working on running our races well focused on Jesus and His purposes. We are working on seeking God for our custom made purposes and doing them as we pray for boldness and to get moving. God has great plans for us! May we be found faithful and moving towards His greater things for us. I was reminded last night how short life is and the urgency for sharing the Good News with other and connecting them to God and training them to be Jesus' disciple makers. What's your part? Who need to hear the Good news and meet Jesus and experience His love through you? What are you gonna do about that? Who are you partnering with? Pray! Prepare and GO! Live and love like Jesus boldly! Amen!

CS: 

TWFYT:

Sarah email:

Hope you are having a good week.  Weather hasn't been too bad to deal with, and we won't complain, will we! 

Just a few thoughts I wanted to share with you:

A true fact about a zebra and their baby's relationship. Did you know that when a Momma zebra has her baby, she will take her baby and remove themselves from the herd. They will spend approximately 2 to 3 weeks apart from everyone else.

It's during that time that Momma and baby are bonding; getting to know one another. That baby is learning to identify with his momma. He is checking over every stripe on her head. So that when they return to the herd, he will have no trouble locating his momma.

Even though you may look at any zebra's head and think their striping is all the same, it actually is different - they are uniquely and wonderfully created by God.

 I got to thinking about the Momma Zebra and baby's early on in life routine - and how that is very important in the life of the baby - so they get to know their momma, to feel safe and secure; to know who their momma is if they are feeling threatened, they will know where to find momma who makes them feel safe.

 Reflecting on my Jesus journey, this reminds me of the times that Jesus spent time alone with His Heavenly Father. He spent time with Him to find comfort, to pray for others, to ask advice, to feel and grow closer to Him.

In Matthew 14:13 - Jesus withdrew by boat to a solitary place after hearing that John the Baptist had been beheaded.

Mark 6:31-32 - Jesus told His disciples to come with Him to a quiet place to rest after many people were coming and going. After Jesus fed the 5000, scripture tells us that Jesus went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray after dismissing the crowds.

Matthew 6:6 Jesus told His followers to go into their room, close the door and pray to their Father in secret.

While Jesus spent time alone with His Heavenly Father and saw and experienced the benefit of that time well spent, Jesus also taught His disciples to retreat and be alone with God.

As a disciple, a follower of Jesus, He is trying to teach us the same lesson. He is telling us - we need to get alone and spend time in prayerful conversation with God.

While some of you may be skeptics and say or think to yourself: "What's the benefit to doing that?"    Let me share a few, what I think are very solid benefits to spending alone time with God:

• You get to know God even better - spending time with God in a group can be beneficial however spending time alone with God helps you to know Him in a different way. God wants a personal relationship with each of us - He knows all about us, and still loves us and wants to hang out with us.
• We renew our strength when we spend time with God. Isaiah 40:31 "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint"
• When we spend time with God, we will receive enlightenment and wisdom
• Staying close to God - spending time alone with God will help us stay closer to Him throughout our day and help us to hear His voice better.

So I haven't any good reasons why we shouldn't follow Jesus' advice and not spend time with Him.

Here's the challenge: Make a conscience effort in your day, to step away from everything around you and spend time with our awesome God.

Watch and be ready to receive - you WILL get to connect with Him in the deepest areas of your heart.  He will give you wisdom, encouragement and direction.

You are strengthened and fortified when life is hard.  God will give you His strength in your weakest and most challenging season.

Come on - accept the challenge - you have nothing to lose, but much to gain, by spending that alone time with our Awesome God!

** ** **

Prayer needs:

Jamie - daughter of Chris and Yvonne Muik - medical test and waiting results and treatment.

Tracy Huber is suffering from some sever vertigo.

A woman that Pastor Don knows, died suddenly in the stands at the race track (Tuesday night). She was in her 40's. Please keep her family, friends, and those that surrounded her tonight in your prayers.

Ramon Susa - dealing with some health issues and unanswered medical questions. Praying for test results to come.

Mark Henninger - healing from cataract surgery

Cheryl Clauser (Milidine Waterman's sister in law) had her pacemaker repaired and now home and regaining her strength.

Thank you all for praying for those mentioned and not mentioned.  Please continue to pray for one another and our home bound.  If anyone has any prayer requests and would like pray for please let Pastor Don or myself know and we will make sure that our warriors are aware of the need.

Bread ministry today (Wednesday) pray for all our volunteers, for those that will come through our doors, and for all that will be sharing God's love.

Have a great rest of your week everyone!

  Blessings,

   Sarah

Note: We have not received the new Upper Room devotionals yet. I will try include them at the bottom until we get them or if, like today, they tie to this blog.

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Good Morning God's Revival Vessels! Pronounce that over you and us right now and join in prayer...Oh Please Lord! We cry out for revival and may it begin in me and us and through us! Raise up a longing remnant that cries out, releases your power over our neighborhoods, communities and nation. COME King of the Revival! We humble ourselves before you. We repent of our wicked ways and cry out in prayer for You to come and heal our land. COME JESUS! Amen!

I think we are all yearning for revival and for our nation to come back to God and His ways. We are His faithful remnant working for revival. But we are not seeing a lot of fruit. We are working towards becoming a dynamic movement of God but to do so need to move from adding a few members here and there to multiplying disciples and to work on becoming a House of Prayer for the Nations. That's revival as many people come back to God or realize their need for God and the folly of their ways and are drawn to His people who can teach them and help them to become more like Jesus. Please meditate on Dave Butts blog today and the Upper Room too (below). God is calling us to prayer and to be His vessels of revival.

I've been crying out for God to lead us to what our part is right now as we cry out and prepare for revival. And He said, "That's it!" PRAY! PREPARE! Watch what I am about to do and be ready to join me. Release my will in heaven and on earth through powerful praying. Could adding AC to the FH be part of His plans for us? I believe so as we prepare a space to continue ministry to our neighbors year round. For sure praying, preparing, planning and reaching out to those He is drawing from the fires of Hell is all part of our call! And then preparing disciple making disciples is our on-going part. What's your part and easy yoke? We will discuss some of this Sunday and begin to earnestly cry out for revival. Yes Come Lord! Revive us! Amen!

In another devo I read today I asked this question of God last year: "What if the desire of our hearts was God and for His things instead of for our perceived needs and wants and even sinful things? What if we lived as if Christ is all that matters and that He wanted to live and love through me? What if we embraced Jireh (God is all we need)?" He is more than enough and has plans for us that are more than we could dream or imagine! PTL! Daylight is burning BUT GOD! He is lighting the fires of revival and wanting to use His longing, praying, preparing remnant! May we be found faithful and ready and responding well! Amen!

Dave Butts:

When God Shows Up in Church

By Dave Butts

Christians around the world are praying for revival. What are they praying for and do they have good reason to expect revival? Is revival something God wants to do for His people today? To answer these questions, we need to understand that God has always worked in the area of revival with His people. From the earliest days of Israel, on through the history of the Church, God’s method of dealing with His people has been to grant periodic times of special blessing in which His presence is made manifest and His people are drawn back to Him. The result of that is a changed society.

Perhaps the clearest view of revival can be seen by looking back at Israel in the Old Testament. Historians tell us that there are seven major revivals in the Old Testament. I would suggest that if you take away the word “major” there are somewhere between fifteen and sixteen revivals. Very clear, distinct times, in which the people of God were restored to a time of religious excitement, enthusiasm, and commitment with a resultant change in society.

You typically see something like this: Israel, as a people, called by God to make a difference…called to be a light to the Gentiles. You see them under a leader such as Moses or David, people who are living a life that causes them to be set apart from the people around them. They are worshipping God, they’re holding on to His Word, they are doing what God wants them to do. Then, typically, after a generation or so when a leader has died you see Israel begin to slide. You begin to see them move farther and farther away from obedience to the Word of God. They begin to accept idolatry from the tribes around them. Pagan practices begin to come in, with acts of immorality and all the problems associated with that – eventually times of war and even slavery.

 Typically at this point of decline there arises a remnant of people who begin to pray. They begin to cry out to God asking the Lord to save them. Then, in His own timing, God sends a leader and there comes a time of revival when they begin to throw off their idolatry and paganism and restore once again the true worship of Jehovah. They begin to again hold on to the Word of God. The nation experiences a time of national prosperity, spiritual excitement and religious significance that lasts for about a generation. Then you see the cycle begin to happen again. Over and over again throughout the Old Testament: revival and decline, revival and decline.

As you move into the New Testament you see a group of people who were born in a time of revival. But we know historically that it did not last. Through the history of the Church you once again see the exact same pattern of revival and decline. It seems to be the way God deals with His people. Down through the years many countries have experienced periodic times of revival. Within the United States we have experienced three times of national revival, known as the Great Awakenings. During these times, God moved and changed the course of our nation. Many of us believe that God is getting ready to do it again in our day, in our age.

What is this thing called revival? I believe that revival is the Church waking up to the presence of Jesus in her midst. It is nothing more and nothing less than you and I beginning to experience what we already know theologically and intellectually. You believe that Jesus is with you. Why? Because He said He would be. You don’t necessarily believe it because you feel Him, but just because Jesus said it. He said that where two or three are gathered together there am I in your midst. You also have to believe Colossians 1:27: “Christ in us, the hope of glory.”

We believe that Jesus is present when we gather as the Church. But we don’t act that way. That is not the way things happen on Sunday. You know why I know your church needs revival? The reason I know your church needs revival is when church services ended last Sunday, you went home. What would happen if Jesus was there? Let’s just suppose Jesus was there. Would you be looking at your watch? Would you be eager to leave? One of the characteristics of the great revivals was extended times of worship. They never wanted to end the service. Now obviously people had to leave, they had to take care of physical things, they had jobs that they had to go to, but as soon as they were done they were back, because that was where God was. They wanted to be in on the action. They wanted to be where God was. They wanted to experience His presence.

I want to suggest to you that revival is not strange or mystical. It is simply the Church waking up to the presence of Christ in her midst. It is almost as though God reaches out and slaps us and we wake up and we realize God is there. That is what revival is. It is God shaking us. It is God waking us up. And we recognize that Jesus really is here.

We are desperate for that in our nation today. I am not in any way a critic of the Church. The more I travel the more I fall in love with the Church of Jesus Christ. I am seeing so many wonderful things happen. Christians are doing wonderful things in the name of Jesus, acts of love, mercy and self-sacrifice. It is amazing what is happening today, and has been happening for years. We are doing all we know to do. But it isn’t working.

Most of the churches have all kinds of activities. They’ve tried all kinds of programs. They’ve given and done everything they know how to do to get the Church going and to impact society. But in all that has happened in the last fifty years in the Church in the US, are we a more moral and ethical nation because of what we have been doing as a Church? It is unbelievable when we consider the tremendous acts of sacrifice, service and ministry in the last fifty years in the Church, and yet it is apparent that the Church is going one way and our nation is moving the opposite way as fast as it can.

In a very real sense, we are at this wonderful point of despair. We are at a wonderful point of hopelessness in which the Church is beginning to recognize that we have been doing everything we know how to do and it is not working. It is time for revival. It is time to humble ourselves before God in prayer and ask Him to make Himself known in the midst of His people so that our nation can be saved and our world impacted for Christ.

How does revival come? Any student of revival will tell you that there has never been a revival without a movement of prayer. God always calls His people to prayer in anticipation of revival. I would ask you today to get serious about praying for revival. We need to shift our prayer focus to the issues that are close to God’s heart, especially that His people, His Church, would wake up and discover the presence of Jesus in our midst.

When that happens, our lives become different. When Jesus is there, suddenly things that we accepted before, are no longer acceptable. Some of the things that go on in our church and in our society are changed because it is the Lord who is present. That is why in those great revivals in the past, there was a bit of emotionalism. Suddenly they came into a church service and there was Jesus. Now they did not see Him in the flesh, but there was a powerful sense of the presence of Jesus. What do you suppose happens if you come into a church service during a revival and there is a strong sense of the presence of Jesus and you’ve been sinning all week? When you come into the presence of the awesome holiness of God suddenly there is weeping, crying out, and sometimes even falling down before God in repentance.

Heaven-sent revival is our only hope. We don’t have answers. We don’t know what to do. We don’t have any programs in our churches that are changing whole communities and our society. It’s just not happening. What we need is God.

 How do you pray for revival? Psalm 85 is a good place to begin: “You showed favor to Your land, O Lord. You restored the fortunes of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of Your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all Your wrath and turned from Your fierce anger. Restore us again, O Lord our Savior, and put away Your displeasure toward us. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger through all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?”

Based on that passage we will find ourselves praying, “Lord, revive us again, do it again in our day.” We will come before God saying, “Lord, this is what you have done and this is what we want you to do in our life and in our nation.

Dave Butts (1953-2022) was the co-founder and president of Harvest Prayer Ministries. His popular prayer guide, Asleep in the Land of Nod has been used by hundreds of churches to help their congregations pray for revival.

Upper Room: Lost and Found

Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep. - Luke 15:6 (NRSVUE)

Many years ago on a beautiful fall afternoon, I was on a walk with my dad and our dog. The dirt road was bordered by woods on both sides. As the sun set and the temperature dropped, it was time to go home. But our dog suddenly wasn’t with us. She had followed the scent of a wild animal, and no amount of calling brought her back.

As my tears started flowing, Dad told me to take off my jacket and put it on the ground. We had to go home, but he promised to return to look for her. Later, he found her in the dark, curled up on my jacket. After all these years, I still vividly recall my joy at seeing her bound into the house.

When we have wandered away from God, where do we look for God’s love and grace? Maybe we have a special place of comfort and safety to which we can retreat and get back in touch with God, who constantly searches for us. Just as our dog found safety in the scent of my jacket, we can return to a place and time when we experienced God’s love for us and find peace.

TODAY'S PRAYER

Dear Lord, may we always remember the words of the psalmist who proclaimed, “The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore” (Ps. 121:8). Amen.

Harvest blogs:

Good Morning Surrendered Bondservants of Christ! Amen! May this be me/us Lord! May we learn to humble ourselves in surrender to You and Your will. May we learn to die to self, take up cross and follow Jesus. Learn to bow before our King and be about Your business in Your ways and timing. Thank You! Come! Fill us, mold us, lead us as we surrender to You and don Your easy yoke. Teach us to be more like Jesus and to be about Your business. Thank You! Your Kingdom come and will be done! Amen!

Yesterday was a great day of worship, praise prayer and learning from His Word! Sarah reminded us of our power source--God and our need to plug into that. We thought about how we have potential energy that needs to be tapped and applied to get traction and movement. We are custom made, gifted and empowered, for such a time as this, just as we are, to go and make disciples. Amen! We were reminded that we all have a part to play in God's Good News delivery company and that prayer is a critical and key component as the prayers of God's righteous people (us) are powerful and effective. Check out Harvest Prayers blog helping us to develop as pray-ers. Claim and release your power in prayer and release God's power in heaven and on earth too. Partner with Him in powerful prayer to bring His will alive and to empower our Body too!

Yesterday as we contemplated our dependence upon God even though we a free in Christ, we were reminded of His ways that are far beyond our human understanding. How can we be free and dependent? Well that is God's way. Right? How can we live by dying? We need to die to self and become a bondservant of Jesus to truly live! Amen! Check put TWFYT and CS (below) speaking about the molding and shaping and growing that comes as we endure the storms of life with Christ and learn to surrender to allow Him to shape and guide us to His best. I was reading another devo today that asks, "How would an attitude of surrender affect your life? How might it bring you more freedom, not less, as the world would have you believe?" Yes we are free and surrendered and learning to live well in Christ. May we always seek to die to self, take up cross and follow Jesus and work on that every day. Humble yourself and bow before our King, receive His marching orders, rise in praise and obedience and go learn to live and love more like Jesus. Stop depending on your own thinking! Acknowledge God in all your ways and allow Him to lead you today, surrendered bondservant of Christ! AMEN!

Harvest Connection Blog    

TWFYT:

 

CS:

God Bless America and may America bless God! Amen!

Good Morning Free and Dependent Children of our Sovereign God! We have been set free because of our faith in Jesus, yet we are dependent upon Him. We live in the land of the free, dependent upon our Living, Sovereign God but as aliens and strangers. He has placed our leaders in place for His purposes and called us to obedience to them that we might live "peaceful and quiet lives". Check out the Harvest Prayer blogs below about this. It can be very hard to trust and obey in this environment today, yet we remember that Jesus came into prominence during Roman rule and Israel being subject to that authority that God placed in control over them. His new born Church thrived and grew exponentially as slaves to Rome. As we follow Jesus and submit to Him in trust and obey, we learn how to live free and dependent. Help us Lord! Charles Stanley reminds us that the battle is the Lord's and helps us learn how to walk in victory with Christ. In this election season, again my heart plea for you is to turn off the noise of those stirring you to fear, anxiety, hopelessness, anger, and hate. Open your Bibles and prayerfully submit to God. Trust Him and allow Him to work all things together according to His perfect plan. Yes be informed to vote well, but other than that and praying, what else can we do but trust and obey? Who is offering you hope, the dementia patient or the felon or the God of all Hope? He is sovereign! He knows, cares and is at work for your and our good, even placing our leaders in place according to His perfect plans. And that is often way beyond beyond our comprehension. Prov. 3:5-6 reminds us to not lean on our own understanding but trust and acknowledge God in all our ways. That takes dying to self as we follow Jesus. God promises us that His peace beyond understanding is available. Are you doing what you can to position yourself to receive it? Are you choosing trust and joy no matter what you are facing? Be still, exhale all the junk and know that He is God and in control. Amen! He has great plans for you! Plans to prosper and not harm even in the midst of all kinds of chaos! Start today at Jesus' feet. Submit to Him and follow His ways. Then you will be able to know His peace beyond understanding. Yes, help us Lord! Amen!

Remember this: When we enter into the very last days, God promises that things will get very wicked, evil, dark and hard in increasing intensity. And He promises to be with us and help us. Put on His Spiritual Armor in prayer today and prepare to stand firm in faith always. Suppose today is the beginning of the last days, within three and a half years things will get so bad that Jesus has to come back to rescue His followers. For all our lives we could never imagine how that could happen to this country in our life time and so fast and, yet, here we are. This has not taken God by surprise, has it? NO! So, doesn't it make sense to turn off the noise, trust God, stand firm in Him and on His Word which has already revealed all these things and how to be able to endure to the end and even do what we can to lead others to Him before it's too late. Who do you know that you want to save from the fires of Hell? What will you do about that? Focus there, pray hard as you trust and follow Jesus. That's His easy yoke for these very hard and dark days. "Go! Make disciples...I am with you always, even to the end of time." Amen! Let us determine to be about our Father's business and to help and encourage each other in this battle.

May God help you to trust, obey always, stand firm, choose joy and know His peace! Amen! Now exhale all that junk! Turn off the noise! And focus on our Prince of Peace! Dwell in His Shalom! He's got this and you! PTL! He is The Lord, our God! Almighty and Sovereign! Victor! Prince of Peace and our Shield! Amen

Harvest blogs:

CS: