Most Essential Need

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLBvCTV23qw

Nothing Else ~ Cody Carnes

Glory in His holy name; 

Let the hearts of those who seek and require the Lord [as their most essential need] rejoice. 

~ Psalm 105:3 AMP

Have you ever noticed that when you’re trying to pray or have quiet time with God, it doesn’t take any effort for you to get distracted? That happens to me more often than I’d like to admit (even to myself). When you confess those times to God and ask for His help, He is faithful to help.

Yesterday morning, at church, we heard from some missionaries our church supports. Though we often hear from missionaries, yesterday’s story hit me differently. The missionaries told a story about someone who’d been walking around in darkness and was so desperate for the Light that, once exposed to it, this person asked, “Where can I get my hands on a Bible?”

Like many people, I have access to multiple versions and copies of the Bible, but sadly, my greatest times of hunger and thirst for God’s Word (with only a handful of exceptions) have been either during a fast, during a very hard time, or when I am seeking a specific answer. Yet this person’s desperate need and desire was for God’s Holy Word. I prayed in that moment, confessing the times I’ve let emails, the budget, the dishes, the laundry, TV, social media, even the hamster distract me from God’s Word and His presence. I prayed and asked God to give me a hunger and thirst for Him, again. Not for the purpose of blessings, or filling my needs, but just to know Him better. Just an opportunity to be with Him.

If this resonates with you, then my prayer is that you’d cast aside the distractions - taking thoughts captive is a huge help - and seek the Lord as your most essential need.

Seek and deeply long for the Lord and His strength [His power, His might];

Seek and deeply long for His face and His presence continually. ~ Psalm 105:4 AMP

©Heather Potts 2021

Not in Toilet Paper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp6aygmvzM4&list=RDZp6aygmvzM4&start_radio=1&t=30

The Blessing ~ Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. ~ Psalms 112:7 NIVUK

I remember when we were serving on Prayer Team at our church's west campus, in Florida. My favorite part of the mornings we were serving was getting there early to pray over the chairs, while the Worship Team rehearsed. We would pray that the Lord would soften the hearts of those who would be sitting in those chairs, that they would hear what God had to say. We would pray for the pastor, that the words in the message wouldn't be his words, but God's. When we had finished praying, we would just worship, soaking up the presence of God.

Today, there is a lot of panic over what the future may (or may not) hold. There is a run on hand sanitizer and toilet paper. While I really hope there's toilet paper available when I need it, my hope is not in toilet paper. Nor is it in a job or a circumstance. My hope is in the God who knows what I need, long before I do. My hope is in the God who walked His people through the water on dry ground. My hope is in the God who sacrificed His own Son, who died on a cross, to save me, and to save you.

Today, I don't know what you're facing. I don't know the full scope of your circumstances. But I do know that God is still on the Throne and He has a plan for you, because He loves you. In the middle of whatever you're facing or dealing with today, take some time to enter His presence. Let the fear just melt away and just be with the One who loves you.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. ~ Psalm 20:7 NIV

©Heather Potts 2020

Submit Your Plans

in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight ~ Proverbs 3:6 NIV

I’ve always been a planner—on everything from birthdays to budget items. They weren’t bad plans; who plans to fail. But because I didn’t ask God first, it was like I was planning to fail because I failed to ask God for His plans.

In November, 2015, God drew out the plans for a small group He wanted me to lead. He called it, “Princess Bride,” (no, not the movie). The curriculum pulled from a lot of scripture and many books by strong Christian authors. As the small group semester approached, I sat down and wrote the notes for each session. I had the whole thing planned. The first session went…well…it wasn’t that exciting, honestly. But then something AMAZING happened: God came into the room! Just like the lyrics for Bryan & Katie Tolwart's song, When You Walk Into the Room, say, “When You walk into the room everything changes...”

God’s presence changes everything—thought processes, how your body functions, even your plans, even my plans. And because we serve a gracious God, He didn’t trash my plans. He just changed them to match His. The lessons from there on out were so impactful—not just for the other girls, but for me, too—that I waited with expectant hunger for God to show up and change my plans. He did it that whole semester. That one semester so rocked my world, my prayers, my expectations, and my planning that anytime something comes up, I take it to God first and ask Him what He’d like me to do with it. Don’t get me wrong; I’m still a planner. But because I look with expectancy, as Isaiah 40:31 says, I know that I can rest in Him and trust His plans.

What plans do you need to turn over to the Lord? Invite His presence into the room and see what He doesn’t change in your life.

©Heather Potts 2017