Keep Standing pt. 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gs3fg_WsEg&list=RD_Gs3fg_WsEg&start_radio=1

Dancing in the Minefields ~ Andrew Peterson

 

Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” ~ Matthew 15:25 NKJV

 

I am equally blessed and amazed that God has walked us through 18 years of marriage. I remember when I wasn’t sure that we’d survive the first 5 years. Neither the world nor our church set us up for success. Though our church wasn’t purposefully setting us up for failure, our premarital counseling went something like this, “You want to get married? Great!” There was no talk about covenant or roles or anything. We were left to figure it out on our own, which caused us both to fail, a lot! Thankfully, God walked us through many seasons—both painful valleys and refreshing mountain-top victories. It’s been in the hard seasons, especially, that we’ve had to rely on Jesus and the covenant promise we made with Him.

 

We really struggled in the infant/toddler years of our marriage. One day, as I was walking and praying, I literally cried out to God, “I will have nothing less than Your very best for me and this marriage!” Was I bold in saying it? Yes! Was I off-base in expecting it from God? No!

 

Matthew 15:22-28 tells the story of a woman who did the same thing. At first, Jesus didn’t respond to the woman’s request to heal her daughter. He even called the woman a dog, (v.26). But even that didn’t cause her to quit. In fact, it was her faith and perseverance that caused Jesus to respond to her. The woman refused to quit! She refused to accept anything less than healing for her daughter and she knew that Jesus could do it. Because of her perseverance Jesus said, “’Woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was cured from that moment,” (v.28). Even now, I am encouraged and humbled to pray with the woman’s boldness.

 

Sadly, over the past 15 years, the divorce rate has remained at about 50%, with most divorces happening either within the first 10 years, or years later, when the adults become empty-nesters. Remember, it’s not the length of our marriage or having children living at home that determines the success of our marriage. It’s our determination to stand, and keep standing, on our vows.

 

Whether your marriage is in a good, solid season, or has hit some dips and valleys, I encourage you to pray for your marriage and refuse to quit until Jesus answers you. Lord, protect our marriages. Keep us bold in praying for our marriages and families. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2022

Keep Standing pt.1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXbRa5Nm6mM

I Speak Jesus ~ Passion

 

When the sun had gone down and a [thick] darkness had come on, behold, a smoking oven and a flaming torch passed between those pieces. ~ Genesis 15:17 AMPC

 

My dad’s parents were married for over 60 years and my mom’s parents were married for over 50 years before either of the grandmothers passed away. Not many marriages last that long. Why? Did “their generation” do it better? No. It’s not about their age, as people from their generation have also gotten divorced. The difference-maker is God.

 

Alistair Begg, pastor and voice behind the Truth for Life radio program, taught in his sermon series, “I Take You,” that taking seriously your covenant promise is the platform upon which your marriage will stand, because it’s a promise with God. He briefly shared the purpose and weight of the covenant, as described in Genesis 15:9-19. He said the purpose behind cutting the animals in half, setting them apart, and having all parties walk between the pieces is to show what will happen if you break the vows:

“May I be torn in half if I don’t fulfill my covenantal obligation to you. That’s why the Hebrew doesn’t speak about making a covenant. It speaks about cutting a covenant,” (https://www.truthforlife.org/broadcasts/2022/07/01/i-take-you-part-2-of-2--/).

In Genesis 15, we see that God made this vow with Abram. God put His own reputation on the line knowing that He would never—could never—break this covenant.

 

Cutting a covenant sounds bleak and dark, not light and happy. But cutting a covenant—standing on your vows, fulfilling your promises—is serious business. While some seasons in life and marriage are easier and more joyful, others are hard and painful. When push comes to shove and life is hard and harder still, on what will your marriage stand? It won’t be the 200+ likes of your wedding pictures, or the memories of the honeymoon. It’ll stand on the covenant promise and the vows you made.

 

If your marriage is in a light and happy season, I am glad for you! But if you find yourself in a battle for your marriage, just remember to keep standing. God never promised that life would be easy, but He promised to be with us.

 

When the day is long and the battle is hard,

                Keep standing.

When the fight is painful and your energy’s depleted,

                Keep standing.

When you’ve spent everything and there’s nothing left,

                Keep standing.

Keep standing!

Keep standing!

Keep standing!

 

I don’t know how things will look when the dust settles, but I do know the God who promised to be faithful. Keep standing on God’s promises, on the covenant, and on the vows you made and see how God will move.

Keep standing.

©Heather Potts 2022

Don't Get Caught Sleeping

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndb7kein1Es

God, Turn it Around ~ feat. Jon Reddick | Church of the City

 

If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. ~ Mark 13:36 NIVUK

 

Lately, I’ve been feeling an urgency, a pressing, from Holy Spirit for God’s people. This urgency includes sharing Jesus with those who don’t yet know Him, covering our kids—those in our sphere of influence—and praying for the protection of their identity in Christ, and more recently, it also includes waking up the sleeping church.

 

While researching, I was led to Mark 13:33-37, in which Jesus tells His to keep watch, because no one knows the day or hours of the return of the Son of Man. Jesus said, “It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch,” (v. 34 NKJV). Bible commentator David Guzik said Jesus left us three things: (1) His house—His Church; (2) His authority; (3) His work—work assigned to each servant to complete, not doing the work of others, but each completing his own task.

 

A sleeping servant, therefore, has not been caring for or protecting his Master’s house from thieves or looters. He’s failed to act in the authority left to him, and he hasn’t completed his assigned tasks. Not only does a sleeping servant miss out on the promotions and blessings of a watchful servant, but he’s left knowing he failed his Master.

 

The image of the sleeping servant vs. the watchful servant reminded me of something I heard our leadership say at our previous church. It was classified as a “mega church” and when it was quickly growing, someone said that though the front door was wide-open, the back door was also cracked. This “watchful servant” didn’t want others to “fall asleep,” thinking that just because their numbers were growing each week that their work was done. He noted that there was a disconnect in their mission if people were sneaking out the back door.

 

The same is true regarding our marriages, children, and families. We can’t afford to assume that once they are saved, or once they are strong, that our work is done. We can’t get lazy and fall asleep. There’s too much at stake! The enemy is patient and he’s watching, waiting for you to nod off so that he can slip in and steal your treasures. Because he’s cunning and deceptive, he’ll slowly pull them from you. Maybe he’ll start with stealing their respect for you, destroying a bit of your authority. As you continue to drift off to sleep, He’ll weasel into their thoughts and get them to question their identity, value, and worth. A few more naps are all it’ll take for him to steal all your treasure—the people you love—and get you to wonder, “How did that happen?"

 

Church, friends, don’t get caught sleeping. Jesus said, “What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’” (Mark 13:37 NIVUK).

©Heather Potts 2022

Sand Sculptures

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gs3fg_WsEg&list=RD_Gs3fg_WsEg&start_radio=1&t=0

Dancing in the Minefields ~ Andrew Peterson

 

[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:7 NIV

 

If you’ve ever walked along the beach, perhaps you’ve enjoyed how the sand feels. The sand at Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida is soft and cool, smoothly pouring out of your hand like granules of sugar. It’s beautiful! Not too deep into the water, however, the wet sand no longer pours smoothly out of your hands. Instead, it drops down in wet glops. Marriage and life have seasons which feel like sugary and gloppy sand, and they can move from sunny skies to hurricanes in a heartbeat.

 

It’s during the stormy seasons that you must shift from cruise control to being purposefully and perseveringly engaged. It’s a season like when the bills are already piling up and your spouse’s hours get cut. Or when the world is already falling apart, your dear friend has cancer, your kids have drama at school, and your spouse tells you awful news. But life and marriage aren’t just about one extreme or the other. There is a Designer who wants to use all of it.

 

Every year, the beaches in southwest Florida are filled with beautiful sand sculptures. The sculptors spend hours creating a unique design. The designs are everything from ornate sandcastles to book characters and scenes to anything imaginable – and it’s all amazing! But like the sand, our lives and marriages will never become a work of art if we quit before the Designer is finished.

 

Sixteen years ago, today, Brad and I said, “I do.” The promise made has been the promise kept, even through the choppiest of storms. But we’ve learned over the years that in the roughest seasons, it’s important to put our lives—and our marriage—into the hands of the Designer and allow Him to create something beautiful.

 

If your life or marriage feels more like wet, gloppy sand that’s been tossed about by stormy seas, I want to encourage you to not quit. Instead, place your life and your marriage into the Designers hands and watch as He shapes it into something amazing!

©Heather Potts 2020

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

Prayer for Marriages

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOEviTLJOqo&list=RDyOEviTLJOqo#t=1

Old Church Choir ~ Zach Williams

But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. ~ Psalm 5:11 ESV

Father, as even Brad and I have been under attack, ourselves, I do not take, nor speak Your Words lightly. Father, my wholehearted prayer for my married friends who are under attack, and sadly have been attacking each other, is for a fresh filling of Your Joy.

Joy is its own Spiritual fruit and does its own Spiritual work within us. It starts in the core, bubbling up from the inside, flushing out of our hearts, minds, and bodies, all the worldly toxins (unmet expectations, resentment, fear, doubt, comparisons, etc.). But unlike a chemical cleanse, which leaves us feeling empty and weak, Joy refreshes, recharges, and reignites us. What had dimmed down to an ember, has been fanned into a blazing, raging fire because of Joy. 

Joy is what emboldens us to stand and fight against every enemy that dares come against what You have tenderly placed in our loving care. Joy is what breaks the heaviest chains from around our arms and legs and lifts the most oppressive burdens from our shoulders, leaving us feeling lighter than air, bubbling out of us songs, dances, and words of Praise and thanksgiving, to Father God, who, through Jesus, has set us free!

Father, I pray that all who read this prayer will be blessed. I ask that You fill each of us with a fresh anointing of Your Joy. I ask also that You would continue to spread Your protection over us, our marriages, and our families. I pray that 2018 would be markedly different, that our marriages and our relationship with You would not only grow in strength and increase in depth, but would also be a beacon of hope for those who need You. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2018

Just As I Am

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ~ Ephesians 3:17-19 NIV

When we are filled with experiential wisdom—the knowing that surpasses knowledge—nothing can take that away from us. When what we experience is unconditional love, it sets us free. And not just free for the sake of freedom, but free to be ourselves—to be comfortable with our individual uniqueness, just as God designed.

I don't wear make-up.

I don't buy "trendy" clothes.

I don't own a closet-full of shoes.

I cannot take a selfie that’s not up my nose.

I do my hair to match my day or my mood.

I scream louder than the boys for my favorite football team.

I’m highly competitive and love to play card and board games.

If I can’t see it, I can’t write it.

I love to dance and sing and laugh in my Father’s house!

This is just me.

And that’s the way my husband says he loves me:

Just as I am.

When we experience the unconditional love of our Father, then we are free to share it with others, through marriage and through relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. If you don’t feel free to be you, ask God to allow you to experience His unconditional love for you.

©Heather Potts 2016

If I'm Not Well

For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ~ Ephesians 5:31 NKJV

Jimmy Evans’ series, Every Great Marriage, discusses the attributes and roles of the husband and wife. The husband is the prophet, priest, and king of the home. As priest, he’s an intercessor, connecting God and man. He is also sacrificially sensitive to his wife’s needs; if she’s not well, then he’s not well and everything matters. Because they are one flesh, what affects her affects him and vice versa.

If the husband’s right arm began to hurt, he would cover, secure and protect it from further injury while it healed. If it didn’t get better, he would seek medical help. If he tried to ignore his arm, the pain would eventually demand his attention and cause him to take action. But even with all the things he could do, one thing he wouldn’t do is cut off his arm and walk around as if everything was better because he’d removed “the problem.” 

If we wouldn’t do that to our own arm, why do we treat our spouse—our own flesh—as something easily ignored or removed?  We might not like or agree with the choices our spouse is making, but just as we would seek God, stand on His promises, and get medical help as needed for a bodily injury, we need to do the same for our treasured husband and our beloved wife.

Father, forgive us for the ways we’ve treated our spouse with contempt, as if they were a pair of smelly socks instead of an incredible gift from You. Help us to always see our spouse as we did on our wedding day: the one we love and want always by our side. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2016

By Persevering Produce a Crop

“A farmer went out to sow some seed. As he was scattering the seed, some…fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown…The seed is the word of God…The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. ~ Luke 8:5, 7-8, 11, 14-15

A farmer won’t say, “I’m believing for a harvest of corn,” when he’s planted, or sown, nothing.

A farmer won’t say, “I’m praying and believing for a harvest of wheat,” when he’s sown corn.

Farmers believe they’ll harvest what they’ve sown—wheat for wheat, corn for corn—and so should we.  But it doesn’t stop there.  A farmer’s work isn’t done when the seeds have been planted.  Look at what a farmer does:

He prepares the land.

He plants the seed.

He waters the ground.

He removes the weeds.

He chases off predators, such as rabbits, crows, and deer.

He waters the ground.

He protects the future harvest from inclement weather.

He waters the ground.

He removes the weeds.

And when the first buds pop through the dirt, he knows the harvest isn’t ready yet.

He continues to water the crop.

He continues to chase off predators.

He waits for the perfect timing.

He reaps the harvest.

And then he begins again.

I’ve been praying and believing God for some pretty lofty things in my marriage.  They are nothing that I think God can’t or won’t give us, but they are certainly things I know I can’t obtain or achieve on my own.  So I’ve partnered with Christ.  Daily, I make Him the Lord of my life.  I want Him to be the Author of my life’s story and the Master of this vessel’s journey.

I’ve come to realize that the prize, the victory, is not about “obtaining” those things I desire in my marriage, but about “maintaining” and “maturing” them once we get there.  If all we do is “achieve” the desired level and then stop or back off from the hard work we put in to get there, we will quickly lose all that we’ve accomplished.

Yes, that means continued work, but watching the example of the farmer, it should not be a surprise.  If the farmer planted the seed only, would the harvest have sprouted?  If he did all that work, brought the crop to the perfect timing and even reaped a harvest, but then worked no more, would he continue to have food in his field?  The answer to both is no.  And so it is in our marriages.  If we work hard to win the love of our lives—or even win them again—but then stop working at it, will we keep that same level of intimacy, that same joy, that same passion?

Just as the farmer continued in his field, so we must continue in putting God first in our lives, and work into our marriages.  But through God’s empowering grace, when we look and see all that the Spirit has done in our lives when we partner with Him, we will realize we have not worked at all, but have lived a love story.  And as we continue to put forth the effort, we can say to ourselves, “I am not working for naught, but am working toward greater enjoyment and victories in my marriage.”

Lord, I pray for marriages.  I pray that you would anoint our hands for the work you have called us to do. I pray that everything we put our hands to would prosper because we are more than conquerors. I pray that you would anoint our feet to follow where you call us to go.  I pray for strength in our bones, that our bodies would carry us where you desire for us to go, and we would be able to do the work you call for us to do.  Lord, I pray that we would fix our eyes on Jesus, running as you direct us.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus ~ Hebrews 12:1-2