I Dare You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0VBFSIK2Cs

Dance ~ PlanetShakers

My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long. ~ Psalm 71:8 NIV

I dare you… to praise the Lord.

I dare you to try it and still stay in a bad mood.

I dare you to try it with your kids.

Go ahead! I dare you.

The past few mornings, Elizabeth's been demanding her way. She wants breakfast right away and doesn't want to follow our morning routine of getting dressed before she is fed. The first day, I tried (unsuccessfully) reasoning with her. But the second day, I let my worship music play and ignored her demands, having already reminded her of our morning routine. Then the unexpected happened: she stopped demanding and, instead, began dancing and singing along with the music. In fact, it became quite comical. Our Elizabeth truly does have the joy of Jesus in her heart and, once sparked, can't help but bubble and flow.

If God's Spirit is in you, you have the same joy of Jesus in your heart, waiting to be ignited and bubble up out of you.

I understand you don't feel like dancing as soon as the alarm buzzes in your ear. I get that you're exhausted, maybe the kids aren't listening, the house is a mess, and you've got work up to your eyeballs. But even amid trials, headaches, and heartaches, God always gives us something to celebrate. The challenge is to find it and praise God for it until we can praise Him from a place of full gratitude.

Today, I dare you to praise the Lord.

I dare you to try it even in your trials.

I dare you to try it with your family.

Go ahead! I dare you!

©Heather Potts 2020

Victory

https://youtu.be/yhyVW6sbZeA

Breakthrough ~ Red Rocks Worship 

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:57 NIV

Your victory is dependent upon your struggle or need. If the need is freedom from some type of slavery, then victory means liberation, being rescued. If your struggle is using overeating or overspending to compensate for your brokenness, using them as coping mechanisms, then your victory might look like healthy spending and eating habits. If your bondage is medical, then your victory might look like a clear scan or good doctor's report.

We all have battles and struggles. Jesus told us that we would have trouble: pressure, oppression, affliction, tribulation, and distress. But He gave us hope, saying, "Take heart! I have overcome the world! For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, (John 16:33; 1 John 5:4-5 NLT).

Perhaps it feels strange to talk about battles so closely to Christmas. The truth is, the enemy is relentless in his attacks, stopping at and for nothing to destroy your life. He will use everything to his advantage, especially the celebration of Christ's birth. Unfortunately, many people fall into despair during the holidays, believing the lie that they are alone, or worthless, having failed to achieve some goal.

God is mightier than any lie. YOU ARE WORTHY because He made you worthy. You are His and He paid the ultimate price for you, His beloved.

Today, believe that you have the victory in Christ Jesus! He gave you the victory--over sin, over sickness, over addiction, over bondage and brokenness, over depression and anxiety, and over every single lie the enemy has poured on you. It's time to stand up in victory! Let today be the day you begin claiming the victory that is yours in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 

©Heather Potts 2019

The Victory-Giver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkRiYsTN7KY&list=RDFkRiYsTN7KY&start_radio=1

Is He Worthy ~ Chris Tomlin

Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered. ~ Psalm 40:5 NKJV

I subscribe to a handful of devotionals. The premise of one, is getting to know Jesus on a first-name basis, exploring the different names of God. Today's name is "The Lord God Omnipotent." The devotional asked: if God is All-Powerful (Omnipotent), what power do you need in your life, today? (Prime Time with God Devotionals: www.churchgrowth.org, https://confirmsubscription.com/h/t/AFD515F44C43B7F8)

We all face hardships, whether relationships, finances, health, etc. At times, our hardships are numerous, but we don't have to face them alone. When David faced Goliath, Moses faced Pharaoh, Gideon faced the Midianites, and when Nehemiah faced Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, they weren't alone. When you face your worst fears, your fiercest enemies, or any kind of trial or hardship, you won't be alone, either. But like David, Moses, Gideon, Nehemiah, and many others, your story isn't about facing opposition; it's about God.

Psalm 44:1-3 says we're to share the victories God has done in our lives, so that others—especially the next and future generations—will know it wasn't by our might, knowledge, or finances that brought us the victory. Rather it was His right hand, His arm, and the light of His face, because He loves us.

What opposition are you facing? Turn your eyes from it and gaze on the One who is the Victory-Giver. Be encouraged by the wonders He's already done in your life, the thoughts He has toward you, and the victories that are still ahead. Then, turning back to the opposition, declare: My God is Worthy of Praise! By His strength, He will bring this victory!

©Heather Potts 2019

14-Year Prayer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyqbvaQc7BQ

When You Say Nothing at All ~ Noting Hill Soundtrack

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. ~ Hebrews 10:23 NLT

Lord, today we’re celebrating 14 years of marriage. That’s 14 years of facing storms, of trials and victories, of missteps and mistakes, of getting back up and trying again, of walking together, of needing You more than before, of learning together, of tears and loss, of fun and lots of laughter, of discovering new favorites and sharing old ones, of making new friends and cherishing long-time friends, of combating fears and overcoming odds, of dreaming, praying, and celebrating, of new adventures and making the journey together.

While we don’t know where the next year or 100 years will take us, I pray that we would keep on walking, dancing, laughing, loving, and going on this journey stronger and closer today than yesterday, and even more so tomorrow. Keep our hearts soft toward each other and humble before You.

Lord, watch over my husband. Bless him beyond his imagining and open his eyes to Your dreams for him. Bless our marriage and move in us, Lord. Embolden and strengthen us to move in Your power and victory. Cover over our family, Lord. Help us to be like You, that we would lead our girls in love, truth, peace, life, and laughter through our words and by our example.

Lord, this is my 14-year prayer for our family. Be ever-present in our lives, Lord. Help us to spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of You. Thank you for 14 years of marriage. I pray for 100 more—more blessings, more love, and more of You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw&start_radio=1&list=RDdy9nwe9_xzw&t=0

Oceans ~ Hillsong

©Heather Potts 2018

For Victory!

When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God…is with you! … Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them.  For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory! ~ Deuteronomy 20:1-4 NLT

There is certainly a battle raging against us and we are DEFINITELY in the thick of it. Praise God for His Spirit and His faithful servants He sends to remind us that He is faithful—He was faithful with us and others in the past and He will be faithful now and in the future.

32. Brad has had 32 interviews since God changed our “plans.” And 14 of them have been since we came, in obedience, to Wisconsin. Unfortunately, as of this devotional, all but 2 have been “no.” But our hope doesn’t lie in the numbers—not the number of days since we’ve arrived in Wisconsin, or the number of dollars we have left in our bank account, or even the number of applications filled out. Our hope lies in the Lord and in His promises.

The details and days have weighed upon us. And the enemy has tried to keep us under his thumb. But in my prayer time, when I felt “heavy,” God reminded me that I am the Victor and not the victim. And in His presence, I cried out, “I will remember!”

It’s not just our family. The enemy is hard at work to destroy all who are called forth in and for God’s great purpose. If, like us, you are in the thick of it, just remember, you are the Victor (not the victim). He calls us forth—not for vacation, but for battle, for war, for victory!

“…Train even your weaklings to be warriors…And now, O Lord, call out your warriors!” ~ Joel 3:10-11 NIV

©Heather Potts 2017

He Understands

LORD, you understand; remember me and care for me. ~ Jeremiah 15:15 NIV

When I read today’s verse, Holy Spirit whispered, “Jesus does understand.” Like many other families, we’ve been under enemy fire. Sometimes the attacks come in little things like when Savannah’s strong-willed streak appears and she pees in front of the toilet instead of in it. But sometimes it’s the bigger things like when we have exactly enough diapers to get Elizabeth through church and then we will be completely out of diapers and without money to buy more. Or when there’s more month than there is food in the house. And just to add insult to injury, the enemy comes and steals sleep night after night after night.

But every time I come into my Daddy’s presence and cry, “I am so tired! I need Your help to get me through today,” that’s when Jesus says, “I know. I’ve been there.” Until this season, I’ve never understood 2 Corinthians 12:10, “For when I am weak then I am strong,” (NIV). When I humble my heart, enter His presence, and ask for His help, He binds His strength and power with my faith and I am able to persevere by His power alone. It’s been through those times that I become strong and stronger still. Persevere is the Greek word hypomonē which is “the characteristic of a man who is unswerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith…even by the greatest trials and sufferings,” (blueletterbible.org).

It’s impossible to do anything by our own strength and power. But when we invite God’s power to be infused with our own, there is nothing God can’t or won’t do through us.

©Heather Potts 2016

Yet Praise

But I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.

~ Psalm 71:14 NKJV

The enemy’s hope in beating us down is to feed into our fears and get us to question God’s faithfulness. Once we begin to question Him, the enemy again comes after us in hopes that we’ll doubt that God will come through this time. And once we begin to doubt, the enemy condemns us for doubting. And he tries to get us into an endless cycle of fear, doubt, and condemnation.

There are days of victory and triumph, but then there are seasons of testing, trial, and refinement. In those seasons, that’s when the enemy peppers us with his seeds of doubt and fear, in hopes we’ll say, “Though God came through before, I don’t see Him moving this time…Can He really get us out of this situation?” Our family has been under heavy fire for a full year and some days it’s all we can do to come before our Father and say, “We need You!” But when we do, His Spirit encourages us and we can say, “I’ll yet praise You.”

Yet is used to emphasize a comparative: Though what’s desired is not what’s seen, I’ll yet, moreover, still do this.

Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!

His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.

I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”

~ Lamentations 3:21-24 NLT

Though it’s been a hard road and one I definitely would not have chosen, I have seen more miracles and an outpouring of God’s faithfulness and blessings this past year than I think I’ve seen in my whole life.

If you’re finding it hard to breathe, press in to Father God and ask Him to encourage your heart. And when the enemy comes knocking tell him, “Though what’s happening hurts, I will praise my God yet more and more because His faithful love never ends!”

©Heather Potts 2016

Not for the Fainthearted

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. ~ John 10:10 NASB

War is not for the faint of heart but for the armed.  With great intensity and mighty power this war will be won—this trial overcome—through worship, prayer, faith and courage to believe as we keep moving forward.

God spoke this truth to me over a year ago, when we were standing face-to-face with the possibility of Brad’s second open-heart surgery.  It turned out to be a “reading” error, in that someone hadn’t properly read the notes of his first heart surgery when comparing them to his most recent tests.  We were beyond relieved that he didn’t need surgery!

As I have prepared for today—for this C-Section and the birth of our daughter—I’m reminded that “War is not for the faint of heart but for the armed.”  Am I at war?  According to John 10:10, the enemy is always plotting against us, looking for ways to steal from us, and ever at work trying to destroy us.  But we have the Lord on our side and He has prepared us!  He has given us the tools that we need, surrounded us with friends who lift us up in prayer, and given us His Comforter and Counselor.

Brad & I have packed, but more than that, we have prayed and have taken communion, standing firm in our faith knowing that our God is Mighty and Powerful and has never let us down.  We trust that He has gone before us and prepared the hands of the surgeon, as well as the hearts and minds of all those who will come in contact and care for us during our stay.  He has given us restful sleep before our “big day,” and has given us peace in our hearts and minds.  He even arranged for the perfect care for Savannah so that we could concentrate on the immediate needs of Elizabeth before we all come home to be together. 

I’m betting today you are not preparing to give birth to a child, but maybe to a dream.  Or maybe today, you are squashing fears that the enemy has used time and time again to try to stop you from living out the dream that the Lord has placed in you.  Whatever it is, God always goes before His people so that they may have life abundantly.  Trust in your God today.  Cry out to Him and ask for His provision and protection as you continue to make your way forward, remembering that war is not for the faint of heart but the armed.

Father, thank you that we never have to walk alone.  Thank you for sending Your Comforter and Counselor.  Thank you that you always go before us, preparing the way for us.  We love and trust you, Lord.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2014

Hiccups

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. ~ Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG

Hiccup: a minor difficulty, interruption, setback ~ dictionary.com

I was thinking about hiccups this morning as little Elizabeth had them, causing my whole stomach to jolt with each one.  Hiccups inside the womb are rather comical.  Hiccups in your infant when she’s almost asleep are frustrating, as there are so few “tricks” to stop them.  Hiccups in life can be just as frustrating, as they seem to come out of nowhere.  And even though they are “temporary,” in the midst of them, they can be all-consuming.

But Ephesians 6 reminds us to be prepared and to take all the help we can get.  You see, we may not know exactly when the hiccups will come or how they will come—as a job loss, as a sickness, as financial difficulty, or the failing of promise fulfilled—but we can take comfort in knowing that God has already given us everything we need so that after the dust settles, we will still be on our feet.  This passage also reminds us that God’s Word is an indispensable weapon.  Joshua 1:8 instructs us to meditate on it day and night so that we will prosper and succeed in everything we do.  We are also to keep our eyes open by praying for ourselves as well as each other so that we will be strong during this ongoing warfare and so that no one will fall behind.

So what are the hiccups in your life?  What are your setbacks, interruptions, and difficulties?  Unlike some of the tricks—drinking water upside down or holding your breath till they pass—you’ll need real weapons to get through them.  Just as Ephesians 6 instructs, learn how to apply truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation to your life, meditate on God’s Word, and be continuously in prayer.  Only then will you be able to stand through your hiccups.

Father, help us to remember that hiccups are only temporary and with the weapons You have entrusted to us, we can make our way through them.  Help us to remember to turn to You, as we are up against far more than we can handle on our own.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

© Heather Potts 2014

Jubmle-Scmrable

Words, words, words.

                Letters, letters.

All made up of letters.

Like pieces from a thousand-piece puzzle,

All in a jubmle-scmrable.

I look at it.

I sweep them up.

I pick them up.

I put them in a box.

“Daddy,” I say, carrying my box to where He’s sitting.

“I just can’t make it work. Can You help me?”

ALL SMILES!

My Daddy is ALL SMILES!

He smiles because I trust Him.

He smiles because I ask Him.

He smiles because I hand it over.

He smiles because it’s me.

Taking the box of mixed-up, messed-up pieces, He says, “Yes, My child, I’ll take it.  I’ll help you make it beautiful.”

He reaches behind His chair and grabs the box-top with a picture on it.

We sit down on the floor together.

He dumps all the pieces onto the floor.

Now it’s an even greater farrago!

He lays the box-top in front of me,

So that I can begin to visualize what the end result will be.

He works swiftly.

He works calmly.

He smiles quietly.

And before I know it, He’s done.

He gently slides a piece of sturdy cardboard underneath the piece of art before me.

He paints special glue over the top, to hold the pieces in place.

He covers it with a simple, but beautiful frame—just the perfect touch to complement the piece.

Still smiling, He says, “Here, My child.  Here is the work, all finished for you.  Please share it with those you know—and those you don’t.  Tell them it’s a gift of LOVE from Me to them.”

He rises to a kneel and pulls me to my feet.

We are eye-to-eye, He and I.

With nothing but pure adoration in His eyes, He says softly, “Child of Mine, thank you.  Thank you for loving Me back.  Thank you for trusting Me to help you with this.  I hope you know that you can always come to Me and I will always help you.  And more than that, I hope you know how very much I love you.”

He kisses me sweetly on the cheek and sends me off to play.

I will always remember today…

                And the words My Father had to say…

I will always remember His speed in turning my jubmle-scmrable into a beautiful piece of art.

                                But it’s His Words that touched me the most…

He said, “Thank you for loving Me back.”

Father, thank you for this message.  Thank you for the beautiful picture it painted.  Thank you that You do turn all of our messes—when we hand them over to You—into beautiful works of art.  But Lord, more than that, I thank You for Your desire to be in relationship with us.  I thank you that You created the way, so that we could have that relationship with You.  I thank you that You loved us first and because of our relationship, You are able to say—both softly and sweetly, with adoration in Your eyes—“Thank you, My child, for loving Me back.”

In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

The Ah-Ha Moment

Ever had one?  It’s when all that’s been going on around you and the things that have happened and have been said to you make sense.  Mine was the other day.

In the midst of all the craziness and the trials we are facing, God said to me, “Don’t make this about you.”  What do you say to that?!  When I asked Him what He meant, I was met with silence.

God has been preparing us to face these trials for some time.  First, He led us to pray for Him to move MIGHTILY.  That’s not to say that the only way God can move is through or after trials, nor that God causes trials.  But God, being omniscient, knew the trials were coming, so He began to prepare us for victory over them.  He gave us a desire for something far greater than ourselves and then led us to read books and hear sermons about overcoming and victory over trials.  He reminded us that this is war and when—not if—we overcome, He gets all the glory.

One night, after a long week, I was being beaten up pretty badly.  The enemy was pouncing upon me, blow after blow.  And when I thought about reaching out for help, the enemy told me that to reach out was weak and I should be able to handle it on my own.  But then I remembered the picture of Moses being helped by his friends.  With Moses’ hands lifted up, the enemy was defeated and when they dropped, the enemy began to win.  And when Moses couldn’t do it on his own, two of his friends came, each holding up one of Moses’ hands, (see Exodus 17:11-13).  So at midnight, I asked my friends to pray for me, because I didn’t feel I had the strength to do it for myself.  And they did!

And after that came my ah-ha moment.  God spoke to me through one of my beautiful friends.  She said, “God is using this time to stretch you into a woman who depends on her faith in Him to get her through.”  God showed me that it’s not about my strength or my ability to get it done.  This time that we are in is about seeking and praying and praising.

God moves mightily when we believe mightily.

War is not for the faint of heart, but for the armed.  We arm ourselves through seeking and praying and praising.

With great intensity and mighty power, this war will be one—this trial overcome—through worship, prayer, faith, and courage to believe!

The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. ~ James 5:16 AMP