By Faith in the Name

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjPKfQ7fMoM

I Choose to Worship ~ Rend Collective

By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. ~ Acts 3:16 NIV

Cancer. Yesterday, a relative received the news that this evil word has infected his body.

Cancer. 1a. A malignant and invasive growth or tumor… 2. Any evil condition or thing that spreads destructively; blight, (dictionary.com). 

How does anyone overcome this evil word? The same way we overcome every other sickness and disease: Pray. Seek wisdom and guidance. Walk in faith. Worship and praise God. Possibly make some lifestyle changes. Then wait with expectation.

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power… They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired. ~ Isaiah 40:31 AMP

Expectation. Something you look forward to and assume will happen. When you’re waiting on the Lord, you’re looking to Him with great expectation, as you believe He will move! I love Jesus’ words to Father God when He was standing outside of Lazarus’ tomb. “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me…” (John 11:41-42 NIV). If we are co-heirs with Christ, can’t we also know that Father God will hear our prayers?

There’s a story that Graham Cooke tells about a woman with an inoperable tumor who wants a word from the Lord. Knowing that Graham has the gift of prophecy, she sought him for an answer. Graham said that God didn’t give him anything for her, but said she should seek God in this matter, then worship until she hears from God. He said that the responsibility is on God to speak, not on her to hear, but to keep worshipping until God speaks. Peter and John also said the responsibility is on God and no one else. 

A man, whom scriptures say was crippled from birth, was begging from those entering the temple each day. When he saw Peter and John, he asked them for money. They said, “Look at us!” The man looked with expectation. “Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk,’” (Acts 3:1-6 NIV). It wasn’t money, luck, or even Peter or John who healed the man. We’re all healed the same way: “By faith in the name of Jesus...It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed [us].”

Whatever is coming against you or your family, don’t let it knock you down one more day. Come against it in the Name that is above every name, even cancer: the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth who came in the Flesh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9plwKOkbf1I

God speaks to the lady with cancer ~ Graham Cooke

©Heather Potts 2021

The Secret Place

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTHS4W1bPj8&list=RDGMEMMib4QpREwENw3_jAc0YgNwVMHTHS4W1bPj8&start_radio=1

Run to the Father ~ Cody Carnes

HE WHO dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]. ~ Psalm 91:1 AMPC

My kids love to play hide-and-seek. They love to find new places to hide while the other is distracted and then yell, “Boo!” when they’re discovered. Regardless of where they hide, they always know to come find me in my “secret place” in the mornings. I’ve always had a “secret place,” where I could “get away” with God.

The other morning, burdens hung heavily upon me. I sat on my bed, writing my prayers to God about all my frustrations, fears, needs, and worries. When my pen stopped, Holy Spirit called me into the secret place. As soon as I stepped inside, I could feel God’s presence envelope me.

There’s nothing mystical about the floor of my closet, with my clothes hanging near my head. I know God will meet me anywhere. But here, I’ve asked questions and received answers; I’ve done research and found God’s treasures; and I’ve spent countless hours in battle through prayer and have seen results. The secret place is not about a location, but an expectation. When I enter the secret place of the Most High, I know He’ll meet me here.

The other morning was no different. Almost as soon as I sat down, the words, “He will quiet you with His love,” leapt from the verse I have taped to the wall, (Zephaniah 3:17). As I cried tears of a child who is known by her Father, all I could do was thank Him: Thank you for knowing me so well. Thank you for hearing me, and for ensuring that I hear You, too.

Where do you go to “get away” with God? Because His Spirit lives inside you, God is always with you. Remember, it’s not about location, but expectation. Where do you expect Him to meet with you?

The Lord your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.

~ Zephaniah 3:17 NIV84

©Heather Potts 2020

Just Wait

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r49V9QcYheQ&list=RDr49V9QcYheQ&start_radio=1&t=0

Take Courage ~ Kristene DiMarco

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! ~ Psalm 27:14 ESV

Shortly after Savannah was born, I was miserable at work. Looking back, it wasn’t because of the work, but because I felt robbed of being a stay-at-home mom. When an opportunity presented itself at another organization, I jumped at it, thinking it would fill the hole created by disappointment. I was upset when I didn’t get it, causing me to keep waiting for God to move.

Right now, many families are awaiting final news of what schooling will look like in the fall. Waiting has caused anxiety to rise in kids, parents, and teachers. The longer we must wait, the more ammunition the enemy has to fire at our thoughts, using our own minds against us as we think up more worst-case scenarios.

Perhaps waiting is the point of this season. Every time an unexpected change occurs, we can choose to stand firm on God’s promises, remembering His faithfulness in the past. Or we can try to make things happen in our timing, by our strength and power. The latter happens out of a lack of trust that God will – or is able to – come through for us this time. As the Bible exemplifies for us, when others have tried the second option, it never turned out well.

Maybe plans for the next school year aren’t why you’re waiting. Regardless of the reason, waiting is still an important season, as it shapes and expands our field of vision. It’s an opportunity for God to separate the dross from the gold, purifying our hearts, so we’ll more and more reflect His glory, (2 Corinthians 3:18). In this season of waiting, instead of allowing fear and frustration to build, allow anticipation to turn into hope, joy, and excitement. While we didn’t choose to wait, we get to choose how we wait.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxbfyt8Rraw

Hurry Up and Wait ~ Mercy Me

©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

Expectation

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. ~ Psalm 62:5 KJV

Expectation.

This word has been resonating in my ears for about a week. A friend invited me to a conference, a Princess conference to be specific. She invited me because that’s what Holy Spirit said. I had great expectation of what God was going to do as the conference approached and especially throughout it. There was something specific I was hoping God would do. I didn’t know how or where He would show up, but I fully expected to receive from Him.

The thing I love about God is not just where He shows up, but how, because it’s always more: more than we expected, more than we thought possible. Walking into that conference with great expectations of what God would do, I was not disappointed! Awe, amazement, beauty, and excitement are just a few of the ways to describe it. Because He didn’t just give me what I was hoping for in that moment. Instead, He revealed a path toward fulfilling a hidden desire, one that’s been buried in my heart. And though I was willing to move forward without it, He fulfilled it because He can, because He’s God.

Expectation means to bind yourself—your hope, your expectation—to someone or something. When we bind ourselves to men and objects in this world, we will often be disappointed, if not devastated. But when we bind ourselves, through expectation, to God we will never be disappointed because He is the God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine.

To what or to whom have you bound yourself?

©Heather Potts 2016

Obvious

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened… ~ Ephesians 1:17-18 NIV

Likely you’ve seen the “memories” feature on Facebook of posts and pictures from years past.  On January 6, 2014 I’d made the comment that we were about to see our first pictures of baby Caleb… For years, I didn’t want kids because I didn’t want my kids to relive my childhood.  But then in 2010, God spoke to Brad and said we were going to have a son and we were to name him Caleb.  After we had Savannah, we naturally assumed the next pregnancy meant Caleb was “on the way.” But when we were in the ultrasound, something was missing…and the ultrasound tech had to point out the obvious three times to assure me it was, in fact, a girl.

I was distraught.  I had been so certain we were having Caleb…

We drove to our girls’ godparents’ house, as they were eagerly awaiting the pictures and the report. Nichole gave me a hug and said, “She’s beautiful.” Sean, seeing that I was upset, said, “It was always a girl. God didn’t just change the baby to a girl today.” And there it was. It was so obvious but I’d missed it. But I wouldn’t miss it again! When we got home that night, I prayed and asked God to tell me all about my little girl, her name and who He had called her to be. My faithful Father said her name is Elizabeth, which means “fullness or abundance of God.” And our lives have been forever blessed by our Elizabeth Joy!

What are the obvious things—the blessings—that you’ve been missing and losing sight of because you’ve been consumed by other things? Pray for the Spirit of wisdom and discernment, that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened and you would see all that He wants to show you.

©Heather Potts 2016

Run w Perseverance

You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD will name. ~ Isaiah 62:2 NKJV

I’ve always hated running.

Last September, however, a friend suggested running as a great way to improve my overall mental, emotional, and physical health.  Though I protested, she told me to do it anyway.  A few days later, after running 2 blocks, I felt like I was going to die! 

On October 10, while attending the Daughters of the King conference, Jennifer Nock, referencing Isaiah 62:2, shared how God changed Sarai and Abram to Sarah and Abraham in order to replace the works of their hands with His power to fulfill His promised purpose. That night, God promised to call me by my new name.

By late October, I was running ¾ mile and got talked into running in the Jingle 5K, beginning my official training on October 24.  But on the 26^th, everything was working against me: both girls were throwing tantrums, I couldn’t find clean running clothes, and I felt like I had a UTI.  Finally, I said, “I’m going anyway!” I found clothes that would do, put the girls in the double stroller, drank plenty of water and away I went.  Near the end of my run, I heard Holy Spirit say I am “one who perseveres.”  He called me by my new name! He called me by His promised purpose for me!  But I wanted to know more, so I asked Him to reveal scripture that went with my new name. He led me to Hebrews 12:1-2, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus.”

God has a promised purpose for each of us. In this new year, let's be determined to never stop running after God and He’ll never stop amazing us!

©Heather Potts 2016

God of the Impossible

Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping… ~ Romans 4:18

When do we need hope?  We need it when the fulfilment of a promise isn’t done instantaneously.  We live in a world where meals are cooked within minutes and whole conversations happen within the exchange of just a few text messages.  When we are told to believe, to have faith, to wait and hope for the answer, that doesn’t seem to compute with us.  But waiting is a good discipline to have. 

I remember when Brad and I were learning about the value of budgeting our money and understanding the difference between “needs” and “wants.”  One couple sat us down and said that they needed new sod for their lawn.  They explained that until they could afford to pay cash—they didn’t use credit cards to purchase anything—they were just going to save up for it.  At the time, they tried to convey that we’d appreciate our purchase more when we’d denied ourselves the instant buy and saved up the money to make the purchase.  Honestly, we didn’t believe them until we tried it.  Over time, we began to see not only  how satisfying it was to actually be able to “afford” to pay our bills through proper budgeting/spending habits, but we were able to pay off our debts as well.

Abraham’s promise, however, took several decades to come to pass.  And that’s why this scripture says that even when there was no reason to hope, he kept hoping.  We are hoping for God to do many things in our lives.  But without God, it is impossible for anyone of them to come to pass in our lives.  What are you hoping will come true?  What things has God promised you that are impossible without hope in the One who made the promise?  Spend some time with God today and tell Him how much you need Him and that you trust Him to fulfill His promises, even if they don’t come as instantly as your Happy Meal.

Father God, thank you that all things are possible with you.  Lord, I pray that we would look to you for our answers, our needs, and our desires.  Lord, there are things that we know You have promised to us, and in our waiting, the enemy fights hard to get us to doubt and quit.  I pray that we would be bold and remember that You are the same God who raised Christ from the dead and called things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17)!  Thank you, Father, for being as bold in our lives and calling out promises to be fulfilled from merely dreams and desires.  Father, give us that same bold attitude today and always.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” ~ Matthew 19:26

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ~ Hebrews 10:23