Going on a Prayer Walk

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwijX74r7tk

What I See ~ Elevation Worship

 

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. ~ Galatians 6:2 NIVUK

 

The other night, Elizabeth came out of her bedroom complaining that she couldn’t sleep. She’d been in bed for a while, so I gave her a task. I told her I wanted her to go on a prayer walk. I asked her if, in her mind, she could see the front office at school. When she said yes, I asked her to list the names of all the people in that office. I told her to pause at each doorway and pray for them. Then, one by one, I took her on a walk through the hallways of our school, listing off each classroom and office, and told her to stop in each doorway to pray for the teachers, aides, and staff in those rooms. After we’d made it through all elementary, and the Warrior’s Den, she looked at me and asked, “When am I supposed to do all of this? And what about middle school and high school?” I reminded her that she was going to do it in her mind. I also told her that once she started praying, I doubted that she’d be awake past 2^nd grade, if she started with the kindergarten classrooms.

Prayer is a powerful weapon. While explaining the Armor of God, Paul says, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people,” (Ephesians 6:17-18). While the Bible doesn’t specifically speak to prayer-walking, Paul just instructed us to “always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” What better way to do that than with a prayer walk? You and your friends could walk the halls of your office or school, if they let you. You can walk and pray over your neighborhood. You can even lay in bed at night and pray for your pastors, or over the patients and staff in the hospitals or nursing homes.

Prayer’s power isn’t subject to your geography, only your availability. If we are going to carry one another’s burdens—and many of them are heavy—then the best way to show love and complete this task is through prayer. Where will you take your prayers, today?

©Heather Potts 2022

On the Side without a Shield

 

https://youtu.be/tgw1hIcW34k

Surviving the Game ~ Skillet 

The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand [the side not carrying a shield]. ~ Psalm 121:5 AMPC

If the right hand is your working side, why did the verse also specify that the Lord’s on the side not carrying a shield. As a warrior, your shield gives you protection. When you feel protected, you won’t run from the enemy. Instead, you’ll either stand your ground, or advance in battle. 

I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. ~ Psalm 16:8 AMPC

If the left side carries the shield for protection and confidence, then the Lord provides that for you on your right side. He stands at your side and gives you a weapon to wield.

Last week, I had the opportunity to walk one of the 3rd grade classes through the temptations of Jesus. We discussed the importance of knowing scripture as a way to overcome temptation. Just as we weren’t given a sword to hang it on a belt, we weren’t given a Bible to keep it closed on a table. There’s nothing scary about either scenario. But swinging a sword and studying scripture...that makes us a dangerous threat to the enemy.

 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword … ~ Hebrews 4:12 AMPC

But we were created to do more than just fight. We are God’s workmanship, called to do the good works He planned in advance for us, (Ephesians 2:10). That reminds me of Nehemiah and the Jews who worked to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. As they worked, the enemy came against them. Because the opposition was so fierce, “[those] who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked,” (Nehemiah 4:17-18 NIV). That sounds like a rather clunky way to work. But if you are expected to be a warrior--defending yourself and your home--as well as a worker, you’d need to do both. Though the expectation is still there for us, it’s not as literal as this picture.

Most of us will not have to fight and work that way, but we’re still expected to do both. I think, at some point, we have all fallen into the trap of believing that spiritual warfare is for one season, and doing God’s work is for another. But the truth is, we are called to do them simultaneously. God gave us weapons for spiritual warfare so that we could fight and remain standing, while doing the work that God prepared for us.

Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that … you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ~ Ephesians 6:13 NIVUK

The Lord is your keeper: your guard, preserver, and Shepherd. 

The Lord is your shade: as near as your shadow for your protection and

refreshment. 

He’s on your right side: on your working side - providing skills, wisdom,

guidance, perseverance, strength, courage, determination, and

encouragement. 

He’s on the side not carrying a shield: on your warfare side -

providing spiritual weapons, like the sword of the Spirit.

The Lord has positioned Himself to be near to you, providing everything you need, in every circumstance. Whatever you need today, receive it from Him and get moving!

©Heather Potts 2021

Trust pt 2

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! ~ Psalm 40:4 ESV

REST is the result of a decision to believe God ~ Alex Anderson, Pastor and author. The emphasis isn’t believing in God, but believing Him, taking Him at His Word, and trusting it.

Numerous sermons have been given on being Mary (sitting at Jesus’ feet), and not Martha (working at His feet). We all long to be Mary, free to sit and rest in the blessing of His teaching, but too often we find ourselves working, instead. I will confess, as of late, I haven’t been doing such a good job of resting, or trusting. Instead, I’ve been struggling, striving, and stressing. When God told me to go back to work, the first thing I did was to pull out our budget and figure out how much I needed to earn. If I don’t have to pay for childcare, I only need X amount. But if I do, then I need to make Y amount. Understanding the budget is great, but it shifted the focus from God—how He was going to provide—and put all the emphasis on me—how was I going to do it.

Trust: to have confidence in another; to be secure, to fear nothing for yourself. Rest: to give permission for one to cease from labor in order to recover and collect her strength; to refresh. Jesus calls to us in our Martha-mentality and says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls,” (Matthew 11:28-29 NIV). Rest. Trust. Sitting. Freedom. Is it really that easy? YES! We can be Mary, even in Martha seasons. We can choose to shift the emphasis and focus from ourselves and put it back on Jesus, allowing Him to teach us.

Father, forgive me for working, for thinking I had to do it all, when You called me to trust and rest in You. Holy Spirit, remind me to rest, because it’s when I’m attentive to Jesus’ words and teachings that I’ll know what He wants me to do and how He wants me to do it. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2017

Trust

But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. ~ Psalm 22:19 NIV

We’ve had more than enough stress to go around. Not just with the move, the anxiety it put on us or our girls, starting over, trying to build new friendships, etc. The latest, is that God called me to trust Him. The irony is that I thought I had been. After all, we did move 1500 miles from home, friends, and community, because He said to. But this challenge was a test of trust and heart—would I law down my desires, my dreams of being a stay-at-home mom and go back to work, as God was saying?

At first, through tears, I said, “Yes, Lord.” And I prepared my resume and began my search. I even scored two interviews. But then I sat down and “counted the cost” of childcare. How much would I have to make to off-set that cost? Brad finally got a job, but it’s not enough to cover all of our bills. As the numbers and questions kept swirling, swirling in my brain, I became overwhelmed, frustrated, heavy-hearted, and plain old mad at God. I demanded an explanation. “Why?! Why did You make us leave everything just to send me back to work? Why?!”

But God.

But negates the former. God is the Creator; He is the beginning and the ending. Out of His love for me, He sent a friend to speak to me. She said, “If I can trust Jesus with my Salvation, surely I can trust Him with my life.” Her words ran around and around in my heart and mind.

Regardless of the circumstances, the budget, and the questions, it boils down to trust. Do I trust God with my life? Or, am I going to hold my and my family’s lives, health, protection, care, and security in my own, very small, hands?

Father, forgive me for thinking I know better than You what’s best for my life and my family. Holy Spirit, remind me of times He helped us in the past and help me to trust Him now and in the future. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2017

The Every Days

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace ~ Isaiah 55:12 NIV

The every days. We all have them.

It’s realizing that the enemy has a plan for you, but God’s plan is still greater.

It’s suffering for a night, but waking up to joy and Jesus singing over you in the morning.

It’s the picnics with your kids celebrating nothing more than Tuesday.

It’s the weird charges in your bank account causing you to be in the hole, followed by blessings from Father God.

It’s potty training and wanting to cry when your 3-year-old pees right in front of the toilet.

It’s a text from your spouse, just to let you know they think you are the greatest!

It’s burnt dinners, belated birthday wishes, and that relative who still spells your daughter’s name wrong.

It’s when everything at the monthly meeting goes wrong AGAIN, no matter how much you prepared in advance to ensure it wouldn’t this month.

It’s running late for work and getting stuck in traffic.

It’s exercising when NOTHING in you wants to, but then feeling so good you know you’ll do it again.

It’s celebrating as your friend’s dreams come true!

It’s laundry and dishes and toys everywhere.

It’s a warm cup of coffee in the morning before sunrise.

It’s discovering that plate of food in the freezer, where you put it to cool but then forgot to serve it to your kids the night before.

It’s overcoming what you seriously thought was going to end you and then knowing how to deeply and personally pray for someone else.

It’s standing up to the liar when he tells you that you’re nothing.

It’s the moments when you question God’s calling and He says, “It’s not your reputation on the line; it’s Mine.”

It’s waiting for God to show you the next step.

It’s perseveringly pursuing the passion burning deep inside you.

It’s the sweet moments when Father God reminds you that He loves you, always and forever, no matter what.

It’s realizing that no matter what, God still holds the whole world—you and me—in His hands.

The every days.

©Heather Potts 2016